Sailor Moon: Rewrite
by Michael S. Repton
Summary: Naru dreams of being a writer and creating magical adventures. She is about to make a discovery that will allow her to turn her dreams into reality...
1. Book I Prologue

**(o)**

**SAILOR MOON: REWRITE  
><strong>

a _Sailor Moon_ fan fiction by Michael S. Repton

**BOOK ONE – THE QUARTZ PEN**

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><p><em>Fairy tales do not give a child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey.<br>The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon._

— G. K. Chesterton

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

It was the first night of the new moon, and the sky was black. The figure that crouched just on the edge of a high roof might as well have been invisible. Not that there was anyone to see her; the city below was an archipelago of colours in an oil-black ocean. Square blocks of light shimmered here and there, so bright that globes of purple mist seemed to billow out around them; between them were millions of small flashes, zooming in all directions like the glints of a flickering strobe light, momentarily forming patterns and symbols that shifted every time you tried to read their meaning. On top of the roof, the girl kept still and watched the display, her eyes alight with dashes of white and red and gold.

"It's beautiful," she said in an awed whisper.

Close by her feet came the soft purring of a cat. It did not need words; its anxiety was clear in the tremulous quavering of its tone. The girl drew a sharp breath and shuffled back.

"I… I'm sorry, Artemis," she said. "I guess I was a bit close to the edge, wasn't I? It's just… well, I've never seen anything like it before."

Artemis purred again. This time his note was calmer, and, from the way it hovered and then rose, she knew he was asking her a question.

"Oh, I don't know," she said. "It's hard to explain. It's all so different, I suppose."

"Mm?"

"I mean, I know those streets. I've walked down them so often, but I've never seen them like this before. Don't you remember when we were younger and we wondered what our toys got up to when the lights were out? Maybe cats don't think about that kind of thing. No, you wouldn't, would you? I'm being silly. Of course, that's when you're out and about, isn't it – all cats are gay at night, as the saying goes?"

She reached down and gently ran a finger under Artemis's chin. "I wonder what it's like for you," she said. "You must think it's strange, that I'm so fascinated by all this, when it's just part of everyday life for you. You've grown up with one foot in the world of the fairies."

She smiled and was silent for a minute, looking out over the streams of light as they flowed past, pulses whirled along by a current that dissolved them into a steady blur of motion. "I wonder… do they know, those people down there?" she said. "Do they know there are others watching them who think their whole existence is something magical? Do they appreciate how beautiful their world is, or have they seen it so often that they don't notice it any more?"

Artemis lay flat on the roof and tilted his head up to meet her stroking fingers.

"It's a sad thought," she said. "I wonder… who do they have to bring magic into their lives?" And a smile crept invisibly over her face.

"Let's get going, Artemis," she said. "It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted."

She gave a deep yawn; and yet no-one, if they had been able to see her, would have thought it an apt word for the way she lifted herself up and scampered away across the roof, pausing only to slide to a halt before she leapt over a narrow gap between two buildings, took a moment to regain her balance, and then raced away into the night.

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>

_Sailor Moon: Rewrite_ was my first fan fiction, posted on Geocities between December 2007 and February 2009. This will be a heavily revised version — Book One is twice its previous length and includes many new plot points and characters (as well as dropping some of the less interesting old ones).

So, what is this story? Well, it's an alternative version of the _Sailor Moon_ plot, in something like the same way the manga and anime are alternative versions. So although it's recognisable as the same story, any details of plot or characterisation might be different from the versions you are used to. _Sailor Moon: Rewrite_ is primarily based on the anime, but includes some plot elements and characters from the live-action version, as well as some that are my own invention. I can promise that there will be plenty of twists and surprises, even for readers familiar with all existing versions.

Please leave reviews; not only does this help me improve my writing, but also, getting to see what my audience think of the story is what makes it all worth while.

But above all, I hope you enjoy the story!

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><p><em>3 April 2012:<em> I would like to wish a happy birthday to my friends Carla (today) and Shinali (tomorrow), who were kind enough to read the first draft of the story the way through, and gave me a great deal of helpful feedback. Today is also a significant date for the story: it's exactly 20 years from the day this prologue takes place!


	2. Book I Ch 1 The Jeweller's Daughter

**(o)**

**1**  
><strong>The Jeweller's Daughter<strong>

Two days and a night had passed. I awoke the next morning as the first traces of sunlight slipped through the curtains and struck my eyes. I shuddered, and turned my head to glance at my clock. Twenty past seven. I threw the blanket off me and pushed myself out of bed. I was in no danger of being late; but it was the first day of eighth grade, and I didn't want to miss any of the day.

I showered and got straight into my school clothes: a white cotton blouse with long sleeves and a red ribbon on the front, and a cobalt blue collar and knee-length skirt. Once I was dressed, I bounded down the stairs, pressing against the banisters to give myself more momentum. I was just on my way to the kitchen to start getting my lunch ready, when I heard voices coming from the lounge.

I blinked. It wasn't like Mother to be up so early. Had I disturbed her? Cautiously, I tiptoed into the lounge and made a gentle cough to announce my presence.

Mother looked round. She was dressed in her smart business clothes, sipping a cup of tea as she sat on the floor across from the television; from where I stood, I couldn't see what was on the screen. She seemed to be just as surprised to see me, judging by the look in her eyes; but there was no sign of it in the polite, even distant, tone in which she spoke.

"Good morning, Naru."

"Good morning, Mama," I said, making a little bow.

"Did you want something? Is anything wrong?"

"Oh, no, nothing," I said quickly. "I was just surprised that you're awake so early."

She gave a tired sigh. "Naru, have you forgotten that we're got to get everything ready for the sale on Friday? I've been up since five already..."

I gulped. "Mama, I hope you've remembered it's the first day of school today," I said. "You know I'd love to stay around and help..."

She frowned. "School? From the way you're gleaming, I'd have thought you were getting ready to go on a picnic," she said.

"Very funny." I grimaced. I felt like I'd been put on the wrong foot; as though it was somehow wrong of me to be excited about going back to school. There was a silence.

"I'm sorry," I said at last. I didn't feel like explaining; it wasn't as though she'd ever shown interest in my school life. "I'll give you a hand as soon as I get home, all right?"

"And here I was, thinking you'd got up early specially to help me..."

"Look, I've said I'm sorry," I forced myself to say. Searching around for a way to change the subject, my eye lighted on the television set. "What are you watching that's so important, if you're so busy?"

"Haven't you heard the news?" she said. I stepped into the room, and I saw that the television was showing a news broadcast. "There's been a whole spate of jewellery robberies recently – she was telling us all the signs so we know what to look out for," my mother went on.

My aggravation vanished in an instant; this was something interesting. "Jewellery robberies?" I said, slipping down onto a cushion next to her and gazing at the screen.

"Yes; Narita-san's store was broken into just last Friday."

"Did they catch the thief?"

"No, he got away. That's why they're telling all shopowners to remain vigilant, as there's no telling where he'll strike next."

"How terrible!"

"Isn't it? Just when we were going to have a sale, as well. I'll have to see about getting extra security..."

"Did they give a description of the thief?"

"Yes – hang on, I think they're going to show us a picture again."

I leant back against the couch and watched. Sure enough, a circular inset came up on the screen that showed what I guessed, from its blurry quality, to be a video taken by one of the store's security cameras. The thief was a tall and slender man (man, I assumed from his height, though under that mask, who could tell?) dressed entirely in black, with tuxedo and top hat and a flamboyant cape that flicked out behind him as he turned and ran from the camera. A diamond shimmered in his hand for a moment before his gloved fingers closed around it.

I stared. "What an improbable thief," I said. "He looks like someone out of a fairy-tale."

"Doesn't he just?" said Mother. "But wait till you see the next bit."

I watched as the view changed to another camera. Evidently the thief had not yet managed to escape; he had gone round a corner and was running towards the side gate that would lead him to freedom.

In front of the gate, however, a figure stood, poised to meet him with hands on her hips. On the screen she appeared at a distance, and I couldn't see her face very clearly; but I could see that it was a girl, of about my age – thirteen – with long blonde hair, dressed in white and blue. A red mask covered her eyes, and a golden glow came from inside her right hand.

She stepped forward with a flick of her hand, and then I saw what she was holding. It was a sort of rope or chain, and she lashed out with it like a whip; it struck the thief's hand, and, as he winced in pain, the diamond fell from his hand and rolled away across the ground. Then he must have seen pursuers coming close behind him, for he suddenly turned and threw himself up the wall that formed the boundary of the property, just managing to grab the top of the wall and lift himself up, whereupon he leapt down the other side and was lost to sight.

What followed was very confusing. Patches of black appeared across the screen – the thief's pursuers, I guessed, standing in front of the camera – but the girl was still partly visible beyond them. She seemed to be talking to the men, but only for a few moments; then she turned and fled through the gate, and the inset immediately went black as someone stepped so as to block the camera's view entirely.

"Who... who was that?" I asked in astonishment.

"She calls herself Sailor V, the warrior of love and justice."

"_What?_" I snorted. It was all I could do not to burst into laughter.

My mother turned round. "What's up with you, Naru? You're not normally like this."

"Well, what do you expect me to be like? Come on, you must admit there's something a bit funny about all this."

"Funny? That someone broke into Narita-san's and is still at large? You know as well as I do, he's the largest jeweller in Minato-ku. If he can get broken into, with all the security he's got, what hope have small folk like us got?"

"A thief who can break into Narita-san's might leave small fry like us alone," I pointed out. "Anyway, I didn't mean funny in that way. Don't you think it's weird, the way that girl just showed up? Who is she, anyway?"

My mother stared at me. "Are you losing your marbles, Naru? She's a superhero, of course – a warrior of justice, defending our city from criminals!"

I tapped my foot on the floor. "A superhero?"

"You know what I mean. You're the one who spends hours reading those kinds of books – Cutie Honey or whatever the latest one is – Science Ninja Amaya, something like that?"

"Oh, please," I said. "Don't try and pretend _you_ know anything about manga heroes…."

"Why should I not? Back when I was a girl, you know, that was when we had _real_ heroes."

I sighed. We'd had this argument before.

"Mother," I said patiently, "that's ridiculous. How can they be _real_? No matter what you think, they're just characters in a book."

"You youngsters – you always seem to think you know everything," she said. "What about the Kadoma robbery in 'sixty-five? How do you explain that one?"

"How would I know? I wasn't alive when it happened," I said. "But what I do know is that superheroes had nothing to do with it."

It was an incident that had been in the news when she was a child; I don't know the full details. But Mother remains convinced that the hostage taken by the robbers was saved by some kind of superhero, and she just won't listen to any other explanation.

There was an awkward silence; I was glad she wasn't starting that argument again, but I couldn't think of anything else to talk about. Finally I said, "You know, even if you're right, I wouldn't go easy on security just because there are superheroes out there to save the day."

This, I could see, went home; Mother scowled and concentrated on the screen, and I knew that she was mentally going over our security arrangements for the sale and wondering if it would be worth getting a few extra men in. Well, that was her business; I had no interest in the organisational details of running the shop, any more than I cared for fretting over finances. I slipped out of the lounge and went into the kitchen to get my lunch ready.

It took me a while. I'm not one of those people that can get a lunch ready in five minutes; I have to keep stopping to work out what I'm doing and remember what I have to do next. It wasn't very neat when I had finished, but I didn't want to spend more time, so that would have to do. Mother is much better at this than I am, and makes a very neat lunch when she has time, but I know that I can't expect that to be very often; she is so busy with taking care of the house and the shop all by herself. I tidied up and glanced at the clock: still plenty of time.

I went back up to my room and checked one last time that everything I needed was packed: all my books, pens and pencils, and two rather more special items. One was a little green notebook that I like to have with me at all times. It's where I jot down all my ideas for the stories I would like to write, so that I don't forget them. Not that I have time to write them at the moment – but one day, I always tell myself, I will. And in the meantime, my best friend Usagi always likes to listen to these ideas, so I make sure I keep the notebook with me, and that way I can glance through it whenever I need to jog my memory about the details.

The other item was a necklace I had made over the school break as a gift for Usagi. It wasn't her birthday or anything like that, but we hadn't seen much of each other over the break, so making it had been a way of keeping her with me in spirit at least. It was just a simple affair, a few inexpensive beads strung together; but still, I had taken care to link them in patterns that made them reflect each other, so that the colours seemed to flow and transform as you turned it. It may not have been the perfect creation I would have made if I could afford to use real stones, but it was still something special, something that would tell Usagi how much her friendship meant to me. At least, I certainly hoped it would, considering how long I had spent on it – not that I was going to say anything about that.

I didn't see Mother again on the way out; she must have been busy in the shop. But I soon forgot about her; it was much too fine a day to spend it thinking about home. We live in a fairly quiet suburb; no-one was around as I set off towards Usagi's house, and there was no noise of traffic, nothing except the shrilling of birds and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. The sun had been warming the ground for hours already, and the air was a finely woven web of scents from the flowers in the neighbours' gardens. I walked slowly, and when the wind started to tickle my face with sakura petals, I just smiled and let them slither their way into my hair.

The walk to Usagi's house took only ten minutes. I was just about to open the gate to her garden when it flew open towards me and her brother Shingo burst out. He's ten years old, and rather boisterous; it wasn't that he meant to hit me with the gate, but he was in too much of a hurry to check whether anyone was there before flinging himself through it. I cried out in pain as it collided with my knee.

He skidded to a halt, looked round and saw me. "Oh, sorry, Naru-san," he said, nodding rapidly. "Nice to see you, you're looking lovely today, how's your mother doing?"

"Fine, thank you," I said. I could tell from the way he was getting ready to shoot off again that he didn't really want a full answer.

"Glad to hear it. I've got to be going. By the way, if you're waiting for big sister Usagi, you might be there for a while. She's still scoffing her breakfast."

"What, on the first day of term?"

He gave such a huge grin that, for a moment, his mouth seemed wider than his head. "Well, you know idiot Usagi, you shouldn't be surprised. See ya!" He waved with his hand high in the air and skidded away down the street, scraping up a huge cloud of dust that billowed out behind him – just not quite enough to stop me noticing that his satchel was swinging loosely off one shoulder and looked likely to fall off at any moment.

I scowled down the road after him, and then strode up to the door. Shingo's information turned out to be inaccurate as usual: the door opened before I had even rung the bell, and Usagi jumped out and hugged me, squealing with delight as though it had been two years since we last saw each other rather than just two weeks. But at this point I must explain who Usagi is and how we came to know each other, and that will require a chapter to itself, so I'll just close this one here.


	3. Book I Ch 2 The Dreamers of Dreams

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**2**  
><strong>The Dreamers of Dreams<strong>

My father died when I was five years old. I don't remember him very well; I only know what he looked like from old photographs. He was a thin man, with sparse grey hair, and if he ever smiled, he saved it for when the camera wasn't looking. I remember his voice, though. His normal speaking voice was deep and earthy, but he had a wonderful ability to blend it with other elements and create new voices that were nothing like his own. He loved to tell stories, and when he spoke, if I closed my eyes I could see his characters come to life in front of me, all with their own voices, whether it was the warrior Norbert with his clear tones like burnished steel, or the charcoal breath of Kagutsuchi rising from the furnaces of hell. Monsters and villains were always what he did best.

I wonder, now, why he spent so many hours with me telling stories, while my mother never did. She was then, as she is now, always busy with the shop; but he must have been too, because I know that when he was alive they worked there together. I think they just dealt with their stress in different ways: she by immersing herself in her work and making absolutely sure that everything got done; he by taking himself away and building these worlds of fantasy in which he could lose himself for a while. I didn't understand this at the time, of course; I just accepted it as being what happened. So I would sit and listen and journey with him to a realm peopled by goblins and ogres and demons, and the brave heroes who fought against them. And, when he tucked me up and turned out the light, the images he had created would start to grow in my dreams until they had developed into vast and geometrically impossible landscapes, a world in which you were always lost, because it had no sense of direction to begin with.

That never frightened me; I loved spending time there, and I soon came to know that world as intimately as the world of my waking life. And it was not long before I began to feel the urge to tell my own stories, to talk about my experiences, adventures I had had and creatures I had met that not even my father knew about. I could never talk about these things with Mother, somehow; I soon noticed that she did not really listen when I tried. But I had one close friend, a girl I had met in preschool; and our parents, noticing how inseparable we were, often brought us round to play at each other's homes. Her name was Nakajima Shizuru.

It's a strange thing – we were so close that we both assumed we would be best friends all our lives, and now I can't even remember what she looked like. We bonded because she was the only one who made an effort to spend time with me and listen to my stories, my first faltering attempts to put into words something of the feelings my dreams inspired in me. But as we grew closer, she grew more confident and also more impatient. She would insist on details and small changes, helping to steer the stories into directions suggested by her own imagination, until they became a kind of joint creation. I didn't mind this; she could be a bit harsh in the way she disagreed with ideas she didn't like, but she was also a deeply imaginative person, and for the most part, our ideas blended harmoniously together. It wasn't long before I felt that the dreamscape we were building between us was more colourful and fascinating than anything I could have come up with on my own. The other children mostly left us alone while they got on with their own games – and I'm sure they muttered comments about that weird pair of loners. We didn't care what they thought of us, so long as we had each other.

Then came my father's death, and at once everything changed. I didn't know what was going on, just that suddenly we had to move, we were going to live in Tokyo, and I had to say goodbye to Shizuru. It wasn't until years later that I understood what had happened. It seems that my father's business had been failing, even before his death, but without him it was just impossible for my mother to keep it running on her own. She was in a desperate situation, until a family friend, Narita Masanobu, came to the rescue. He is also a jeweller, but his business is much bigger than ours, and he helped Mother get started with a new shop in Tokyo, telling her that he had confidence in her and was sure it would prove to be a sound investment. They made a deal that Mother would turn over to him a percentage of our profits; and I am happy to say that our shop has been a success, and Narita got back a good return for his money. But I was too young to care about these matters of finance; I only knew that I missed Shizuru.

I started school in Tokyo, but I found it difficult to make new friends. I was dismal and melancholy, and most of the others avoided me. Tsukino Usagi was the only one who did not. She was a bubbly little girl, always smiling, and she couldn't see someone else being unhappy without feeling compelled to cheer them up – no matter how much I tried to drive her away. In the end I must have just decided it would be easier to let her talk to me, and we soon became close friends. We were an odd pair, poles apart in many ways, and I can't deny that her chirpy enthusiasm got irritating at times; but most of the time it was uplifting to be close to someone whose attitude to life was one of such pure joy. As for me, even after I got over my melancholy phase, I was always more thoughtful and serious than she was, and it remained a surprise that someone like Usagi never managed to get bored of me. I continued to invent stories, of course – more complex ones as I grew older and started to get the hang of how to work with my ideas, to develop them into a bigger picture. And Usagi loved to listen to them. She was never a replacement for Shizuru; she didn't have the kind of imagination to play that role. But she encouraged me and gave me confidence; I loved to watch her as she listened, to see her features soften and her eyes half-close as she stared into the distance, looking out over a landscape that was not really there. It felt inspiring to know that my words could have that effect on someone. And it was thanks to her encouragement that I eventually got into the habit of writing my ideas down. Usagi always tells me I will be a great writer one day, and I know she's just exaggerating because she knows it's what I want to hear, but all the same – I would love it if that dream could come true.

For the most part, though, when I'm not telling a story it's Usagi who does most of the talking, and so it was as we walked to school that day. She'd been to Karuizawa over the break, and had a lot to tell me, though she talked so fast that I didn't take much of it in and certainly can't remember it now. Really, it was just about enjoying the feeling of being together, and I would have been equally happy if we hadn't been talking at all.

Twenty minutes later, we reached the bridge, which is a point where several different roads come together, and we merged into a throng of fellow Juban Junior High pupils converging on the school. Many of them were youngsters arriving at the school for the first time, and I couldn't help smiling a little, feeling a kind of nostalgic empathy with their looks of anxiety and apprehension.

Once we were on the other side of the bridge we heard our names being called, and looked round to see Abe Kanami, one of our classmates, hurrying towards us. We smiled and waved to her, and stopped to let her catch up; she is short and chubby, and was panting for breath by the time she reached us.

"Morning, Naru-chan, Usagi-chan!" she said. "Have you seen the others yet?"

"I think they're ahead of us," I said. I knew that by "the others" she meant Kazuyagi Kuri and Nagata Yumiko, the other members of our circle of friends. Usagi and I first met the other three at the start of junior high; somehow we all just found ourselves drawn to each other and ended up forming a tight group. Kuri and Yumiko had known each other since primary school and were particularly close, just like Usagi and I, which left Kanami as the odd one out; but when we hung out together we were a group of five and such distinctions didn't matter.

The school grounds were surrounded by a high brick wall, which we entered by a little gate, and then all at once we were in the midst of the buildings. These were huge monstrosities of white concrete that twisted about in the modern fashion, with stairs and railings everywhere, many of them leading up to doors halfway up the building that served no purpose anyone could remember. I saw a number of first-years huddled tightly together, glancing around in bewilderment; but I had no time to spare for them. Now that we were here, a niggling anxiety at the back of my mind was growing stronger, and I had to rush inside to check the class lists on the noticeboard. I knew it was unlikely that Usagi and I would be separated, but people did sometimes get moved from one class to another, and I wouldn't feel easy in my mind until I knew for sure.

I held my breath as I scanned the list, but it didn't take me long to find my name. We _were_ still together; as soon as I saw that, I took a moment to get my breath back, then checked and found that all five of us would be together in class 2-1. Our homeroom teacher would be Sakurada Haruna, who had been my English teacher last year. I liked her a lot. She could be strict when her anger was roused, but so long as you stayed on her good side, she was cheerful and friendly – indeed, she asked everyone to call her by her given name. She seemed to get on well with me in particular, but then, English is my best subject.

I looked down the rest of the list more slowly. There were no huge surprises, but I was interested to see that Mizuno Ami was moving into our class. I had not spoken to her before, but I knew her by reputation; she was the school genius and had gotten top marks in everything last year. Guren Junko had pulled a few strings behind the scenes, I guessed; she has a remarkable talent for knowing how to work people to make things happen.

The sound of the bell interrupted my thoughts, and I hurried to join the others outside our classroom. I waved to Kuri and Yumiko, and they waved back; they were deep in discussion of recent sporting events, and I did not feel like joining in. I don't have much interest in sports, but Yumiko does archery and Kuri is on the track team. Kuri is the same height as me and has short straight hair, while Yumiko is slightly taller and has long hair.

Haruna-sensei arrived soon afterwards, huffing a little as she had clearly been running to make it on time. It took her a while to find the key to the room, until Junko pointed out that it was dangling from her belt. Then she smiled chirpily and ushered us inside, and for half an hour we were busy with rules and paperwork. At last the next bell sounded, and Haruna-sensei looked round and up at the clock as though unable to understand how the time had gone so fast – while the rest of us were all sitting there, wondering why it was going so slowly.

"Time to start our first lesson," she said. "Osaka-san, Mizuno-san, please stand up."

I stood, feeling a little embarrassed and bewildered, and at the very back of the room, so did Mizuno Ami. I glanced round to see whether she seemed to know what was going on; but her face was expressionless. She was a demure and inconspicuous girl, her dark hair tidily trimmed; but her blue eyes had a sharpness that you noticed even through her glasses. For a moment, her gaze met mine, and I quickly looked away so as not to seem rude.

"I have a note to say that you two are taking special classes in English," Haruna-sensei continued. "Do either of you know where you're going?"

"I do," Ami said quietly, staring downward. "I… I went there last year."

"Good. You can show Osaka-san the way, then."

Silence. She went over to a cupboard and started pulling out papers, then turned round and gave us a look of blank surprise.

"Hadn't you better be going?"

"Y… yes, sensei!" Ami said at once. Flustered, she gathered up her books and stumbled out of the room. Still feeling a little confused, I followed; Usagi gave me a wave for good luck, and I smiled and waved back. Then we were in the corridor. Ami bowed, and for a moment I thought she was going to say something, but then she coughed and turned and walked away.

And, as it seemed there was nothing else to do, I started down the corridor after her.


	4. Book I Ch 3 An English Lesson

**(o)**

**3  
>An English Lesson<strong>

There was an oppressive silence as I followed Ami through the school corridors. Everyone else was in lessons, and even though I knew we had permission to be out, I was so unused to it that it was hard to shake off a feeling that I had to hurry along and dare not speak in case we were caught. Ami was equally silent, though probably not for the same reason. She led me down to the ground floor and along the back corridor, towards a huge iron door that stood at the far end. I gasped as I suddenly realised that we were going to go through it.

I'd known in advance, of course, about the special lessons. I'd done so well in English the year before that there was really no point in leaving me in a class with students who were still struggling with basic sentences. So Haruna-sensei had met with my mother and made arrangements for me to have special lessons this year. I just hadn't known that Ami was having the same lessons. And I certainly hadn't known that it would involve going to the high school.

My school was right next to Juban High School, and in fact the two were part of the same building, but the only connection between them was the door that now stood ahead of us. In all my time at the school, I had never seen it open. And Ami was walking towards it as blithely as if she expected it to yield to an "Open Sesame".

She glanced back at me. "Is something wrong, Osaka-san? We should move faster if we don't want to be late."

"Okay!" I didn't know what else to say, even though it felt awkward to say nothing. But Ami ignored me as she went up to the door and knocked. I heard the scraping sound of the door being unlocked and unbolted, and in front of us stood an unfamiliar teacher.

"Mizuno-san, is it? You know where you're going, yes? Right you are, then, come on in." And without another word he ushered us through and set about locking the door again. I felt a horrible, uncontrollable lurch in my stomach as I found myself wondering, for the first time, why that door was always locked. To keep us from straying – or to protect us from intruders from the other side?

My sense of anxiety grew steadily as we progressed through a series of unfamiliar corridors and up two flights of stairs. True, Ami was with me, but what if we became separated? What if she was leading me astray for a prank, and was going to run off? I really had no confidence that I could find the door back to safety again on my own, and as for asking for help from any of the high-school students we occasionally saw at a distance, prowling the corridors in packs like hunting animals – no, it was not to be thought of. Except that I have a very active imagination and often can't stop myself thinking about such things.

But Ami did not run off, and five minutes later we arrived at the classroom. Ami knocked, and we were bidden to enter. I slipped into the room behind Ami, keeping as close to her as I could. Rows of faces turned to look at us, and I felt suddenly faint as I realised for the first time that our "special lessons" meant joining an actual high-school class.

Everyone was staring at us; a few were pointing or laughing. Their school uniforms were blue and white like ours, but darker, as though the colour and warmth were drained out of them; and they were _huge_. The girls were all grown-up women, with real breasts and absent-minded smiles as they flicked back their hair, and the boys were leaning forward with cocky smirks on their faces as they nudged each other and whispered.

The teacher, Izumi-sensei, was a tall middle-aged man, very thin, with a habit of peering at you over the top of his glasses. "Ah yes," he said after glancing at the note Ami passed him. "Class, I'd like you to welcome Mizuno Ami and Osaka Naru, who will be studying with us this year." We stood, together, at the front and bowed, and the class dutifully mumbled a greeting. The teacher indicated two empty desks that stood together in the centre of the room, and we took our seats, keeping our heads low as we tried to ignore the chameleon-like eyes rotating to face us as we moved. But looking away didn't work; if anything, it made things worse, since I couldn't stop my imagination filling in the details, the sneers and raised eyebrows and scribbled notes being passed around.

"All right, quiet down and get your books out, everyone," said Izumi-sensei. "Page thirty-two, 'Ode on a Grecian Urn'. Have you all read this poem over the school break?"

I nodded along with everyone else. After we'd agreed to the arrangement, the school had sent me the assignment for the break: to read a poem by Keats and attempt to work out what it meant in preparation for a class discussion. Even though there was no written work for the assignment, I'd done my best with the poem, so as not to fall behind and because I enjoy reading poetry anyway. Even in English. Perhaps the wash of incomprehensible vocabulary actually helped to give the poem an aura of mystery – magical sounds that did not have to be chained down to something as mundane as meaning, a casket waiting to be unlocked whose intricate wooden carvings told you it was protecting something precious and wonderful.

"Good," said Izumi-sensei, tapping his desk with the tip of a pencil. His eyes scanned the room. "Takeda Naomi-san, would you read out the first stanza?"

A tall girl in the front row rose to her feet and looked self-consciously around to make sure all eyes were on her before she began. Well, at least that meant they weren't staring at me any more, and I could relax a little. Her pronunciation of the words seemed flawless (at least to me, though I'm no expert), but it was hard to concentrate on the words, so theatrical was she in the way she bunched them together and spiced them up with long pauses and sudden, almost spitting, emphases.

_"Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,  
>Thou foster-child of silence and slow time…."<em>

A boy in the front window seat raised his hand. "Please, sensei," he said, "what does 'unravish'd' mean? I couldn't find it in my dictionary."

Guffaws rose from his friends around him. I could tell that he knew perfectly well what it meant and was just causing a disruption for amusement.

The teacher, however, retained his composure magnificently. "Understanding a poem, Kitano-san, is not about the meaning of the words, but about the meaning of the poem as a whole." He allowed Naomi to continue to the end of the stanza, and then asked, "Yoshida-san, were you able to make any meaning out of that?"

Yoshida, a short, bespectacled boy sitting near the back, sucked his pen thoughtfully. "You know, that's a good question," he said. "He says this urn – what was it? – 'can thus express a flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme'. So why does he bother to write the rhyme? It's like all he's trying to tell us with this poem is that there was no point in writing it."

Murmurs of agreement came from around the room, and then a girl put up her hand. The teacher nodded. "Yamada Momoe-san?"

"I think it's confusing," she said, fixing him with a sweet, dimply smile. "He seems to do nothing but ask questions. Like when he says, 'What men or gods are these?' Well, if he's just inventing this scene, why doesn't he know who the men are, and why can't he just tell us?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ami looking up, but she did not speak.

"That's a good question, Yamada-san," said the teacher. "What do you think the answer might be? Or anyone else?" There was no response to this, so he went on, "All right, let's continue with the second stanza and see if that makes things any clearer. Matsumoto-san, you read next."

We continued in this manner through the whole poem, stopping after each stanza for the teacher to ask us questions about it, but without, I felt, the students ever really attempting to get to grips with its meaning. They were mainly concerned with making sure they had at least something to say so they weren't shown up in front of their friends, and if it could be something funny, something that would take up time and bring the end of the lesson closer, that was all the better.

At last a girl named Kajimoto Minori read out the final lines:

_"Beauty is truth, truth beauty – that is all  
>Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.<em>"

"Great," Kitano said at once. "I'm glad that's all I need to know; I should have no problems with my exams this year, in that case."

Izumi-sensei frowned at him. "Do not interrupt again," he said. (But from the smirk on Kitano's face, I could tell he felt he had scored a point by getting away with it this once.) "What do you make of the last stanza, Kajimoto-san?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Well, it just seems to come out of nowhere," she said. "I mean, we've had this long description of the urn, then he puts those lines at the end as if they're meant to be a kind of moral; and yet they don't seem to have any connection with what's gone before."

The teacher stifled a sigh, then looked round again. "Andou-san, what do you think?"

Andou Eisaku, who sat right at the back, spoke loudly and confidently. "Well, it's just nonsense, isn't it? Beauty isn't truth; everyone knows that. For instance, Momoe over there may be beautiful" – he paused for timing as the others started to giggle – "but that doesn't make her true."

Momoe blushed and stared at the wall as a current of laughter rose up around her.

Izumi-sensei steadfastly ignored this. "Anyone else?" he said.

Ami made a slight coughing noise. I could tell that she had something to say but didn't really want to speak; but once she had got the teacher's attention, the damage was done. "Yes, Mizuno-san?" he said.

"I... I think Keats is trying to say something about art in general," she mumbled.

Izumi-sensei motioned the rest of the class to keep silent. "Go on."

"Well, it's true, as Yamada-san said, that he's very unspecific about details of the figures he describes," Ami said, choosing her words slowly and carefully. "He doesn't answer any of his questions about them, because any answers he could give would only be a human kind of truth. We might ask who the men in the picture are, but if we knew, it wouldn't tell us anything interesting; it would be merely factual, a dead end."

Izumi-sensei was listening attentively. "So what do you conclude?"

"Well, I think that in those last two lines, Keats is not saying that beauty _is_ truth in the sense that they refer to the same concept, just that in this case beauty _replaces_ truth or functions as its own kind of truth. We respond to the pictures because of their beauty, and that is what gives them the truth they have for us – the meaning of the pictures is the responses they provoke in us. They are truthful because they correspond to concept structures in our imagination, which makes the questions Keats asks throughout the poem meaningful. The importance of the questions is not in their answers, but in the fact that the images stimulate us to provide answers for ourselves."

There was a dead silence, and Ami seemed to notice for the first time that every eye in the room was on her. Flustered, she hastily continued, "And it's the same with any form of art, really – what we get out of it is not truth in the sense of corresponding with actual fact, but the meaning it has for us because of the way we respond to it." They were really staring at her by now. "Well, that's what I think, anyway," she finished, flushing bright red and burying her face in her textbook.

"That was a very good answer, Mizuno-san," said the teacher. "Andou-san, I hope you were paying attention, because that's the sort of depth of analysis that I expect to hear from you in future." He was interrupted by the sound of the bell. "Well, that's all for this lesson; see you next week," he said, turning his back to us as he packed away his books.

I rose, my head somewhat in a daze as I tried to absorb everything Ami had said, and I followed her out of the room.

We were at the top of the stairs when there was a shout from behind us, "Oi, Mizuno-kun!" We both turned, and saw Andou striding towards us. "You forgot something," he said.

Ami frowned in bafflement. "I don't think I forgot anything, Andou-san."

When he reached us, Andou looked down at us, and then, in a single movement that came too suddenly for us to react, he grabbed Ami and pushed her hard against the wall. "You forgot the respect due to your elders and betters," he snarled. "Don't you _ever_ show me up like that again."

Ami couldn't speak; I think he was crushing the breath out of her. "You let go of her," I yelled, more out of instinct than any feeling for Ami. I don't like to see anyone getting hurt, even if they are irritatingly clever.

I hadn't seen two of Andou's friends – huge, burly boys like himself – coming up behind him. As I moved towards Ami, one of them tripped me and I fell.

Ami managed to wriggle herself just free enough that she could squeak out, her voice barely audible, "Osaka-san, please just go, quickly!"

I rose unsteadily to my feet; my knee hurt, and it was awkward to stand. I was shaken, but not frightened. I'd never been in this sort of situation before, but I had seen it happening to other people, and I didn't believe they seriously meant to hurt either of us.

My satchel had slipped from my shoulder when I fell. I looked round for it, and saw that one of the boys had picked it up. Gratefully, I stretched out a hand to take it; but just before my fingers reached it, it was no longer there. He was holding it in the air, out of my reach.

"Give that back," I said crossly. I still wasn't scared, just annoyed; at this rate we were going to be late for our next lesson.

"You want it?" said the boy. "Here, catch!" And he threw it over my head to the other boy. I didn't bother trying to snatch it out of the air; I knew this game, or thought I did, and I knew that was what they wanted me to do, so they could laugh at me. If I could make them get bored of the game, they would give it back.

Andou had let go of Ami, and she was crouching on the floor as she panted to get her breath back. "Please," she said, "please give that back to Osaka-san."

Andou growled at her. "What have I told you about respect, girl?"

Ami looked dolefully up at him, and then knelt at his feet and addressed him in the most formal language, "Please, sir, restore my friend's bag to her for the sake of your humble servant."

"Better," said Andou, and clicked his fingers. "Sumihara-kun, give it back now."

"Don't know why I should," said Sumihara. "She's not been polite to _me_." And he pulled the zip open and began to root around in the bag.

"Hey!" I cried, leaping forward; but the other boy grabbed me by the back of my neck and yanked me back so that I fell on the floor. I really was upset now. The notebook in which I wrote down my ideas was in that bag, and I knew these philistines could never appreciate what it meant to me. And there was also –

"Ooh, look what I found!" said Sumihara, gleefully pulling out the necklace I'd made for Usagi. "Isn't it shiny? I think I'll give this to Naomi."

"Just give it back," Andou said wearily. "It's time we were back in class, anyway."

"No; why should I?" said Sumihara. "It's mine now. If she wants it back, she's going to have to beg for it."

I glared at him.

"Just… just do what he says, Osaka-san," Ami whispered. She sounded much more frightened than I was. I grimaced, and said nothing. Somehow, having Ami telling me what to do made me even less inclined to go along with the game.

Sumihara grinned at me, and waved the necklace in front of my eyes, just too high for me to reach it. I hesitated.

Then the other boy roughly nudged me aside and made a grab for the necklace. Sumihara shoved him back. "Cut that out, Komatsuzawa!" he cried.

Komatsuzawa grabbed the necklace and held on firmly, trying to tug it from Sumihara's grasp. Behind me, Ami gave a rasping cough. She'd clearly been hurt worse than I had realised.

I turned towards her. "Please, let's get out of here," she whispered.

But I still hesitated. Part of me knew it was the right thing to do; Ami was more important than the necklace, even if I barely knew her. But I felt an unbearable pang when I remembered how much work I had put into making it, and once more pictured in my mind the gleam of pleasure in Usagi's eyes when she received it, and how beautiful it would look when she put it on. I turned away again.

"Stop that, you two!" Andou said. He tried to get in between them and push them apart. And for one second, the necklace was motionless, and I could have leapt up and grabbed it –

"Osaka-san, _please_!" Ami gasped. She was clutching her throat and shuddering. And she sounded so desperate that again I hesitated, and the moment was lost. Komatsuzawa fell backwards to the floor, and the necklace split apart, sending streams of beads bouncing and sparkling all down the corridor.

"Now look what you've done, fool!" Sumihara growled, striding over to Komatsuzawa and giving him a kick. Then he turned and stomped away. Andou helped Komatsuzawa up, and the two of them walked off without even giving us a glance.

I stood there, dazed; I was so shocked that I almost forgot Ami was there. All I could think about was those beads, lying helplessly on the floor and bleeding light; many were already dead as they faded away into colourless pebbles.

"Osaka-san?" Ami said, touching me on the shoulder.

I shrugged her off. "You were right," I said. "We should get out of here."

"Osaka-san, I'm really sorry about your necklace…."

"Just forget it, all right?" I said, rounding on her. "All this was nothing to do with me, and believe me, this is the last time I'm letting myself get involved in your quarrels!"

Ami said nothing. I could see that she was trying not to cry, but I no longer cared. Anger was boiling up inside me. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted her to feel my pain.

"I tried to help," she said softly.

"Well, if that's what you call helping, I hope I never find out what it's like when you try to hurt someone!" I shouted.

Ami turned away. She was sobbing, and I could tell from the way she limped that she was still in pain. I didn't care.

"Just stay away from me in future!" I roared after her as she walked slowly down the stairs. Alone at last, I allowed the tears that were building up inside me to fall. I stood there, crying, for a long time, and then picked myself up and walked off, still in a daze. I was late for mathematics now, but all I could think about was my vision of Usagi receiving the necklace, and how that was now gone for ever. I felt empty, as though all joy was gone from life, and I could not even enjoy the small things I used to find pleasure in, the sound of merry bustle going on around me and the beauty of the sunlight shimmering through the sakura trees.

Without Ami to get the shortcut opened up for me, I had no choice but to leave the high school by its main entrance and walk back to my school. Reaching the front entrance would have involved going all the way around the building, so I let myself in at the side entrance and approached the school across the field.

A figure was sitting on a bench outside the building, and as I came through the gate, I saw at once that it was Usagi. Her golden hair, which she wore in two buns with long pigtails streaming down from them, was unmistakable from a long distance. I frowned; Usagi was one of the least studious people I knew, and prone to arriving late, but it was not like her to avoid lessons.

As I got closer, I could see that she was sitting with her head buried in her hands, crying her eyes out. And that was when I knew it was going to be a bad day.


	5. Book I Ch 4 A Thief in the Night

**(o)**

**4  
>A Thief in the Night<strong>

I rushed over to Usagi and sat down beside her, my own troubles instantly forgotten. "What's wrong, Usagi-chan?" I said.

"My mother's going to _kill_ me," she sobbed.

I glanced down at the paper in her hand. Evidently the others had had an English test while Ami and I had been out. Usagi's score was at the top in angry red ink – a measly 30.

"Oh, Usagi-chan," I sighed. "I'm sure she wouldn't really kill you."

"She said she would if my grades didn't improve this year," Usagi cried. "Or she'll make me go to cram school, which is the same thing, really."

I drew a deep sigh. From the way she was crying, I'd been expecting much worse. Of course, other people's problems generally seem much smaller to us than they do to them. No doubt if someone (well, not Usagi, but someone else) had known how much I'd been crying over my necklace, they'd wonder why such a small thing made so much difference to me.

"Usagi-chan," I said, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder, "why do you always do this to yourself?"

She sobbed wordlessly for a while. "I can't do it, Naru-chan," she said. "I'll never be smart like you."

I smiled. "I'm not really any smarter than you, Usagi-chan," I said. "The only difference between us is that I apply myself to my work a bit more."

"But I tried ever so hard," she cried. "It doesn't matter how much I try, it just never comes out right."

I sighed; what was there to say? I knew exactly what the problem was: what Usagi meant by "trying" was getting her books out and staring at them blankly, and feeling so virtuous for having given up time to do this that she allowed herself to be distracted by just about anything. I would have thought it wasn't that hard to realise that she would get much better grades if she actually did the work, which she could easily have done in the time she spent staring at it. There's no understanding some people. But that doesn't mean you can't love them.

We sat together in silence for a while, my arm around her shoulder holding her steady as she shook. I think we both felt a kind of tranquillity that came from knowing that, no matter what the situation, we were doing our best, just what we both needed, giving each other our support and sharing a few moments of precious sadness together.

Then the silence was shattered as Umino Gurio shouted out my name. He has a habit of doing that: he creeps up on you and then startles you by speaking loudly right next to your ear. I don't think he intends to startle anyone; he just honestly doesn't realise what it feels like to be on the receiving end.

"There you are, Naru-chan," he said. He was standing just behind the bench. How long had he been standing there, watching us? I didn't like to think about it. Damn it, he could have said something much sooner!

I craned my head round and glared at him. "What is it, Umino-kun?"

"I've been looking for you," he said. "What's up with Mizuno-san? She came back into the classroom looking like she'd been caught in a rainstorm."

"Tactful as always, I see," I snapped back. "Since when have you been so concerned about Mizuno-san, anyway?"

Usagi paid no attention to our conversation, and continued to sob. Umino looked round, as though noticing for the first time that she was there.

"Is… is something the matter, Usagi-chan?" he said.

I tutted with impatience. Umino is very bright, but he just doesn't get people. _Anyone_ could see there was something the matter.

"Oh, I know!" he said chirpily. "Are you upset because of the test? You don't have to be upset about that, Usagi-chan. It wasn't a very important one." He fumbled in his bag and drew out a neatly folded sheet of paper. "See, I got 95," he said. "It's not perfect, but I'm not upset about that, because I wasn't really trying."

I sat in bewildered silence. Again, I just couldn't think of anything to say.

"What did you get, Usagi-chan?" Umino persisted. As if she wasn't giving clear enough signals that she wanted to be left alone. She hadn't even looked round at him.

I finally snapped. "Can't you tell from the way she's crying, idiot? Of course it was bad."

I knew it was the wrong thing to say as soon as I'd said it. Usagi rose unsteadily to her feet, turned her face towards me for a second and shot me a glare of pure revulsion and contempt, then strode off without another glance behind her. I felt as though an invisibly thin needle had been driven through the centre of my heart – and it wasn't so much that glare as it was knowing that I'd earned it.

I remember little more of the events of that school day; I was too much lost in my own sorrow to take very much in. I think I must have wandered off, since I'd missed so much of the mathematics lesson that there was no point in returning for the end of it. I never got into trouble for it; perhaps Umino had something to do with that. I rejoined the class after break, and kept my head down as much as possible; I made no further attempt to talk to Usagi, and even partnered Kanami instead of her for Chemistry. We got several curious glances in our direction, and I'm sure there must have been rumours flying around, but by that point I was past caring.

I think it must have been the first time in my life I was glad to hear the bell for the end of school. I threw my books haphazardly back into my bag, quite unlike my usual habit of making sure they were neatly arranged. Kanami was watching, and I think she hoped I would speak to her, but I pretended not to see her, and strode through the door and set off for home.

"Hello?" I called out when I arrived. No answer.

I sighed, slung my bag down on the floor, and went into the shop to look for Mother. I would far rather have gone to my room and fallen asleep and tried to forget that the day had ever happened, but I knew it would lead to more upset later if I ignored her now.

She was in the shop, of course. She had set up a large display cabinet full of rings and brooches, and was arranging a floodlight to shine down on it.

"So there you are, Naru!" she called out. "Come to give me a hand at last? You can tell me if you think the light would be better at that angle. Did you have a good day at school?"

"No, it was horrible."

"Was it? Okay, you stand there and tell me when you think I've got the angle right."

I sighed. I could have told her that Godzilla had come to school as a substitute teacher and she would have taken about as much notice.

I went and stood where she wanted me to, and dutifully mumbled responses as she adjusted the light. To be honest, I couldn't really say it looked any better at one angle than another. And my indifference must have shown in my voice, for my mother said impatiently, "What's the matter with you, girl? Are you trying to help me, or not?"

"Sorry, Mother," I said quickly. "I… I guess I just find it hard to concentrate with this light. Maybe you could find me something else I could do."

"Well, I don't know what's wrong with you; you're not normally like this." She descended slowly from the stepladder. Of course she didn't _ask_ what was wrong with me. But I knew better than to expect that.

We went down to the basement, and she showed me some cases that she wanted brought upstairs. They were heavy, and I had to take a break after each one. It took a couple of hours to shift the lot.

Mother was still busy, so I had been given the task of locking up the basement room after I'd finished there. And that was when I got the idea. It was such a big idea that I had to sit down on the stairs and think it through in every detail before I let myself move again.

Ten minutes later, my mind was made up. I went over to the door and shut it tightly, but did not lock it. Then I gave the key back to Mother, and went up to my room and napped.

I had been in our basement many times, of course, helping my mother by fetching cases of jewels or storing them away. I'd been in there so often that it hardly seemed wonderful any more; but to someone like Usagi, just to be given a glimpse inside would have felt like an invitation to paradise. We weren't rich, and couldn't compete with the wonders of Narita-san's storeroom, but we had many small stones of every variety, less expensive but no less beautiful – diamonds and rubies and sapphires and most of the lesser-known stones as well.

And I wanted so badly to make it up to Usagi, to give her back the merry smile I had taken away. To do something that would prove that my love for her was undiminished. And I wasn't going to make her another necklace; that would take too long, and I didn't have the heart for it. I would be constantly comparing it with the one that had been broken; and that would just be too frustrating. No, there was only one thing I could do, and that was to steal something to give her.

It wasn't a decision I could make lightly. I would be a thief, just like the one we had seen on television. The word boomed ceaselessly through my mind like a gong. A thief… and from my own mother, at that. But I was so frustrated with her that it hardly registered. She should have shown me a little more consideration when I came home from school, clearly upset. She wasn't really so busy that she couldn't spare five minutes to ask what had happened and give me some motherly comfort.

Mind you, I wasn't angry with her, and I didn't want to hurt her. I would just take something small, something that would never be missed. There was nothing _wrong_ about doing that, was there? Well, it wasn't something I could feel good about, and I had to take a deep breath and remember all the good times I had shared with Usagi before I felt sure I was doing the right thing. I'd let her down, and it was up to me to put it right; and any consequences I suffered for stealing would be my own problem. But I didn't think that there was much risk of that. Not if I was sensible and confined myself to taking one small and inexpensive item.

Somehow, having made up my mind made me feel better about the world at once, and I could come down for supper and even managed to enjoy it. But a horrible nervous feeling was starting to build up in my stomach, and I couldn't look Mother in the eye.

After supper I retired to my room to do my homework. Normally I would have felt stressed at having left it so late; but this time I was glad to have an excuse to stay up. Mother looked in on me on her way to bed, expressed surprise that I was still busy, and reminded me (as though I needed reminding!) what time I had to get up in the morning. I fobbed her off with a few vague promises, noted the time, and waited until exactly one hour had passed.

I closed my books and drew a deep breath. I had never noticed before just how full of noise the silent night can be: the ticking of my alarm clock, the rustle of my slippered feet across the carpet, a scraping and creaking as I nudged the door open, and even the juddering thump of my heartbeat. I had to stop for a moment and slip into the shadows, waiting for a whole agonising minute to see whether Mother's door would open. But it did not. I should have known, really; these noises only sounded so frighteningly loud because they were close to me. But I was not used to creeping around in the nighttime, and it was hard to make myself think logically. As soon as the minute was up, I slipped over to the stairs and fairly ran down them; I felt that if I spent too long being careful I would only be too likely to make a slip, or else let the tension get to me and let out a scream. Not because I was afraid, but just because of the way the shadows kept shifting and assuming different shapes. I have a very good imagination, and it was all too easy to be startled by something coming at me that wasn't really there.

Once downstairs, I felt calmer, perhaps just because I knew I was committed now. Also, the faint light trickling through the kitchen window was comforting, in a way. I grabbed a torch from the cupboard under the stairs and carried on down to the basement.

The basement door was huge and heavy – as it had to be, considering what it was protecting. But now I was far enough away from our bedrooms to know there was no chance of waking Mother, so I let the door clang heavily into place behind me.

I turned on my torch, and immediately gasped. Somehow, the many hundreds of times I had been in that room were no preparation at all for seeing it at night. Everywhere the beam of my torch went, thousands of sparkling lights came into existence to greet it, as though a kingdom of fairies were watching me from the darkness, signalling to each other in response to my movements. And such lights! Displays of green and silver and red and gold and more colours than I knew the names for appeared and vanished every time I moved my eyes, swirling in constantly shifting lines that enthralled and mesmerised.

I tiptoed forward, and slowly played my torch over the cabinets as I considered every item before rejecting it and moving on. None of these were right: they were all too expensive, and even Usagi would ask awkward questions if I came to her with any of these. But they were so beautiful, I felt every single one tugging at my heart as I moved past it: necklaces and bracelets and brooches and all sorts, each one outlined in dazzling light caught and thrown back by the perfect arrangement of hundreds of tiny stones. I had spent so long working with them that I knew all of them by sight, every type and variety, and their names went through my head like a litany as I scanned them: jadeite, nephrite, zoisite, kunzite.

As I reached the back corner of the room, my torch beam fell across the Seven Rainbow Crystals, the pride of our collection. They were seven scintillating stones, one in each colour of the rainbow; they had no setting, but were arranged in a circle on a silver plate. There was no question of taking these, of course; but I paused for a minute and gazed at them all the same.

Then I moved on. At the back I knew I would find cases holding items of lesser value. I ran the torch along them, and all at once, as though it held my eyes in place like a magnet, I found myself staring at a little pen with a beautiful white quartz handle. That was it, I knew at once. It was perfect: something Usagi would love to have, something she would use and not just look at, and would look at all the more because she was using it. And it was precious enough that it would be a gift she would appreciate, but not so valuable that it would lead to awkward questions.

I had my own master key that would open any of the cabinets, so it was not long before I was holding the quartz pen between my fingers. It felt comfortable and easy to hold. That was fine. But I did need to make sure it would write. My notebook was in its usual place in my pocket. I put the torch down for a moment, scribbled in the corner of a page, then picked up the torch again to have a look.

I blinked. It had written, all right; but had my random scribbling just happened to fall into patterns that looked like characters, or had I chosen them myself, subconsciously, without knowing it? Hesitantly, I read them aloud: "Fantasy… power… make-up…."

There was a loud crash, and my heart shuddered. If I hadn't spent the last half-hour drumming it into my head that I had to be silent no matter what, I probably would have screamed. As it was – I clenched my upper teeth _hard_ into my lower lip and forced myself to look round. There was no point in trying to hide; the light of my torch would already have given me away. For the sound had been unmistakable: it was the crash of the door slamming shut. There was someone else in the room with me.


	6. Book I Ch 5 Thetis

**(o)**

**5  
>Thetis<strong>

I managed to turn round and point the torch towards the stranger, though honestly I was shaking so badly that I nearly dropped it. What else could it be, but a real burglar? And I knew that if I was facing a hardened criminal, he wouldn't think twice about silencing me to make sure he got away. There was no point in screaming for help; no-one would be able to hear me. I just had to hope that by shining my torch straight in the intruder's face, I could daze him for a moment and use that advantage to slip past him and escape.

No… past _her_. It was a woman's face that the beam revealed. She gleamed at me like a wraith, a white oval framed by streaks of jet-black hair. She looked young, maybe eighteen or twenty, with finely shaped features; her nose was small and pointed, her skin smooth, and her eyes were emeralds deeper and more enthralling than the pebbles that lay in the cabinets around us. She wore a plain blue dress with a short skirt, and long sky-blue gloves. And the torch beam did not dazzle her at all. She just kept on looking steadily towards me, and then made a deep bow.

I was too surprised to think of making a run for it any more. I just held the torch steady and stuttered, "Who… who are you?"

She lifted her head again and took a few small steps towards me. "I am the Slave of the Pen, Mistress," she intoned. "My name is Thetis."

"The – _what_?"

"The Slave of the Pen. That pen you hold in your hand. I am the slave of it."

I stared. That was a bit rude of me, but I had no idea what to make of all this. At last a thought crossed my mind, and I blurted out, "Look, this really isn't the time for silly games. Umino didn't put you up to this, did he?"

She remained impassive, her face expressionless. "Who is Umino?"

"Clearly not." I sighed. "I just thought it might be the kind of thing he would do."

Thetis made no response, and I found myself growing more and more uncomfortable with the situation. "Look," I said, "I don't know how you got in or whose idea of a funny joke this is, but you're just going to have to get out again."

"I am the Slave of the Pen, Mistress," she repeated. "I must come when I am summoned."

"_Summoned_?" I buried my head in my hands for a while, hoping that when I looked up, I would find that I had imagined the whole thing. After all, I have a very good imagination.

No such luck. "Come now," I said, "you're not going to pretend those words I said were like – a magic spell or something? Get real."

"You spoke the words that summoned me, Mistress," said Thetis. "Do you want proof? Look down at yourself."

How can I explain this? I couldn't even understand it. I had changed, as if by magic; I was wearing clothes that I had never seen before and certainly had no memory of putting on. My costume was, in style and colour, similar to our school uniforms, except that the cotton blouse was replaced by a stiff, sleeveless white leotard, with a large cream ribbon on the front that made me feel like a birthday present, and the long blue skirt was replaced by a white miniskirt that I wouldn't have been seen dead wearing. And what was really strange was that, even though I could _feel_ the stiffness of the costume and an uncomfortable slight chill around my bare legs, I really hadn't noticed any difference until that moment.

I hung on to the nearest cabinet to steady myself; I felt faint. This wasn't right; it was unreal! I knew what magic was, or thought I did. I'm a writer, after all; I should know better than anyone what goes into the making of fantasies and making people believe they could come true. So of course the first thought I had was that someone – and part of me still suspected Umino – was making a fool of me. And it was terrifying to think of how easily I'd been tricked – that someone had managed to change my clothes without my noticing! I felt nauseous. I wanted to get away, hoping that if I could get back to my room and curl up tight under my blanket, everything would be safe and normal again. Part of me even still hoped I could fall asleep and wake up and find that none of this had ever happened.

Thetis looked down at me with an expression of concern. "Is something the matter, Mistress?" she said.

"Please tell me this isn't real."

She didn't blink. "You are the chosen warrior of fantasy and compassion."

"Look," I said, straining to keep myself calm, "I don't know who you are, I don't know what you're talking about, and I just want to get out of here."

"Your pardon, Mistress," she said, bowing again. "I must instruct you in how to use the Pen before you leave. Otherwise there is no telling what may happen."

I looked down at the pen – or the Pen, as I supposed I now had to call it.

"If this is going to cause trouble, I can just leave it," I blurted out. This wouldn't do. I could hear that I was starting to get hysterical. But I couldn't help myself.

"The Pen has chosen you as its owner." Thetis remained calm, and this just infuriated me further.

"What if I break it?" I gripped it with both hands as if preparing to do so.

"Then you will never find out what it can do."

I glared at her, but I knew that she had the upper hand and I had no choice but to play along. "So tell me."

"The Pen has the power to make fantasy into reality, but it will only work for its chosen owner," said Thetis. "My primary role is to instruct you in the use of the Pen, but so long as you remain the owner of the Pen, I will do whatever you command of me."

"It makes fantasy into reality," I repeated. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I suggest you try writing something."

"Do we really have to do this now?… oh, fine," I said. I took out my notebook again and wrote the first thing that came into my head. _The cat sat on the mat_.

The silence was abruptly broken by a cat's purr, and I swivelled round. Sure enough, on the floor was a thick carpet where I knew there had not been one before, and curled up on the carpet was a black cat. It took no notice of me. It seemed not to care that it had just been called into existence and could be called out of existence again just as easily.

The Pen dropped from between my suddenly limp fingers.

The cat, startled by the noise as it hit the floor, frowned up at me as though to ask whether I had no respect for the sanctity of relaxation, then lifted itself up and sauntered off.

"Do you believe me now, Mistress?" Thetis said quietly.

I didn't look round. I was taking short breaths, trying to hold myself steady, trying to take all this in. "I don't know what to believe any more," I said. "So can this – do _anything_?"

"There are certain limitations. You will come to know them better, in time."

"Whatever," I said. "You know, I'm still working under the assumption that any second now I'm going to wake up and discover this is all a dream."

"Do not worry," she said with a smile. "I'm used to it."

I tilted my head towards her. "_Used_ to it?"

"I have had to convince many previous owners of the Pen over the last thousand years."

I stopped. That couldn't be right, could it?

"_Thousand_ years?" I said.

"I am older than I may appear, Mistress," she said wistfully. "I have seen many generations of men come and go, and watched over the masters of the Pen as they tried to realise their dreams. I have seen towering ambitions that came to nothing, and deeds of great selfishness and some of great heroism. I have been here to instruct every new master the Pen has found, and told each of them what I am telling you now. Some of them found it very hard to believe."

"Yes? Well, I find it very hard to believe…."

"No," she said calmly. "You _want_ to believe. I know how to tell, after watching so many others. You want to have this power – because, I think, you already have an idea of what you want to do with it. But you are not letting yourself admit this, because you are afraid of getting your hopes up in case they are taken away from you…."

I stared down at the floor. There was a long silence.

"I don't think I like you knowing so much about me," I said quietly.

"Mistress…." Thetis stepped closer.

"No, stay away!" I snapped. She immediately moved back; her calm was unruffled, but her eyes had a look of such deep sadness that I almost pitied her.

"We'd better go," I said. "This isn't the right time or the right place for talking about these things."

She bowed. "As you wish, Mistress."

"I just don't know…." I ground to a halt. She was right. I _did_ want this all to be true. I wanted to believe I could be powerful. Then I could teach those bullies a lesson… but no. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I realised that they did not matter to me any more. They could not really hurt me, if I could make the things I wanted happen without regard to them. I could use the Pen to make my necklace come back, just as it had been….

"Are you all right, Mistress?" said Thetis.

"I… I must have been lost in thought," I said. "You're right; we should go. But where will you go for the night – and how do I change out of these silly clothes?"

"I will disappear when you transform back."

"But I'll be able to summon you again?"

"Yes, you know the magic words now."

"And how do I transform back?"

"Just say the counterspell – 'Reality Power Check'."

I held the Pen out, and then paused as another question came to me. "Can I still use the Pen when I'm not transformed?"

"Yes, it will work just the same."

"All right then, here goes." I took a deep breath. "_Reality Power Check!_"

This time, I could feel it happening. A breeze whirled around me, and my skin prickled at the touch of cold fabric. It lasted no more than a second or two, and I was back in my normal clothes, and when I looked around, Thetis had gone. I stood there for a while, clutching the Pen tightly between my fingers, as though I needed some tangible reminder that it had all been real. But there was something else there to remind me. I heard the cat purring close by my feet, and when I bent down and stroked it, it was warm and furry and very solid.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. "I'd love to keep you – I've always wanted a cat, but Mother won't let me keep one. I'll have to let you out; I'm sure you'll be able to look after yourself."

I lifted it up; it did not struggle, but sat snugly in my arms and rubbed its cheek against my breast. I felt warm and comforted, and at the same time strangely hollow; it's difficult to describe. It was as though I were trapped in a cave, and saw a sudden shaft of light through the ceiling after I had almost forgotten about the world outside, and stretched my hand towards the opening only to find it out of reach. It was a feeling I had never known before, but one I would come to know much better. For the moment, I just held on to the cat, stroking it gently until all other feelings were lost in the softness of its fur. I went to the front door and placed it outside, then closed the door again. I listened, but I could hear no noise.

I crept back upstairs, holding my breath as I came past Mother's room, but it seemed she had indeed slept soundly through the whole thing. I was very tired, but there was still one last thing I had to do before I slept. I turned on my small reading-lamp, and wrote with the Pen.

The magic still worked. My necklace appeared again on my dressing-table, whole again, just as it had been. I almost cried. I felt like I'd been waiting for something like this to happen all my life. What child hasn't? All those times I'd paused before looking round a street corner, just in case the street I was used to seeing there had suddenly become an avenue to another world – all those times I'd been playing in the meadow, and bent down to examine a pretty flower or an unusual rock to see if I could find any signs of it being a home for fairies – and now here I was with a magical Pen, and a real live spirit, for that is what I supposed she had to be, at my command and ready to do my bidding. I must have slowly, without ever noticing the moment it was finally gone, lost hope that things like this ever really happened. And I had consoled myself with inventing dreams and writing them down, hoping that somehow, one day, my words would reach someone who needed such dreams to give them hope, and that that would make my own disappointment worthwhile.

Maybe it sounds silly, put like that; and in truth, it _did_ seem a little silly now. What I was holding in my hand was the power to make my dreams into realities. There was so much I could do, I felt paralysed, as though my mind had stopped moving. I just didn't know what I wanted any more. I sighed, and got ready for sleep; I would just have to sort this out tomorrow. I kept my lamp shining on the necklace just so I could be sure, right up to the last moment, that it was really there. Then, finally, I turned out the light and collapsed at once into a deep sleep.


	7. Book I Ch 6 Crown Arcade

**(o)**

**6  
>Crown Arcade<strong>

"Come on, get up, sleepyhead!"

I yawned and tried to drag my eyes open, struggling against a strong force that was pressing them closed.

"What's the matter, Naru?" said Mother. "It's not like you to be still in bed at this hour."

I lifted myself up and forced myself to wriggle out of bed. The room was whirling round me in a blur, and I just couldn't force my thoughts to form into words.

"Well, I hope you're not going to be too tired to help me out when you get home," she said. "We've got a lot to get done before Friday."

"Yes, Mother," I sighed, and then glanced round. "What are you doing? Can't I have some privacy so I can get dressed?"

We glared at each other for a moment, and then she tossed her head and swept out. I hastily got myself ready and hurried off to Usagi's house. I was a little behind time, and I didn't want to get there to find she had already left. I was rather out of breath by the time I arrived.

In fact, I was so out of breath that I was unable to react as Usagi crashed into me at high speed, throwing her arms round me and nearly knocking me over.

"Naru-chan!" she cried. "Are you all right? I've been so worried about you!"

"Worried?" I said, struggling free from her grasp. "Usagi-chan, why?"

"Because you were so upset yesterday and I wanted to talk to you and I didn't get the chance and I didn't know if it was because you were upset with me…."

"_Upset_ with you?" I caught my breath. She was gazing at me with a look of heart-melting love and concern. "Usagi-chan, I was worried because I thought you were upset with _me_!"

She blinked. "But why would you think that?"

I held a hand in front of my throat to keep the tears back. "After what I said… when you were upset about your test, I was so tactless… Usagi-chan, I'm sorry…."

She laughed. "Don't worry about it, Naru-chan," she said. "You take everything too seriously."

She smiled, and I let my head tilt downward and the tears fall. She held me for a moment, and then we set off towards school together, treading at an easy pace. "You didn't get into too much trouble, did you?" I said after a while.

She scowled. "Got shut out of the house until Mother calmed down, but it wasn't too bad."

"I'm sorry," I said. "Usagi-chan, there's something I'd like you to have – just a little gift."

And then we stopped and I gave her the necklace. Of course she said I shouldn't have, and I insisted I wanted her to have it; and she cried when she saw the way it sparkled in the sunlight. We had to hurry a little after that, but we made it to school on time.

It was a good day. I had slipped the Pen into my bag before leaving the house, and when I saw that Usagi was getting bored with the chemistry teacher's long-winded explanation of flame tests, I got it out and got ready. The teacher was just holding a sample into the flame and explaining that it would turn a pale green colour – and I pictured it starting to fizz, and then little purple sparks coming flying off it and landing on the desk, where they lay and glowed like the embers of a wizard's fire. The class would burst into laughter, not just at this unexpected result but at the teacher's look of utter bewilderment – I could see his expression so precisely.

I grinned to myself for a while, but then I frowned and put the Pen away again. It was all very well to use it for entertainment like this, but I mustn't let myself run wild. This sort of thing would be too public; I didn't want people to start talking about the number of unusual things that had suddenly begun to happen. Not because I was worried that my secret might be discovered, but because I felt there was something _really_ big I could do with it – I just didn't know what it was yet. And too much fooling around now would spoil it when the time came.

I glanced towards Usagi, and she turned and grinned at me. And then I understood something. Really, there hadn't been all that much difference between this day and the one before; but something as simple as getting a good chance to laugh could be all it took to make one into a good day and the other a bad one. And when I saw the way Usagi was smiling at me, a smile so full of warmth and gratitude, I knew at once I would do anything for her. But the best thing of all would be to do something for her without her knowing it, so that her happiness would not be tainted by a feeling of being in debt to me.

But I still had no ideas as to what I could do for her, and I turned over the possibilities in my mind for a very long time.

After school, we walked home together, and Umino tagged along beside us. We never minded that, Usagi and I; we just enjoyed the feeling of being together without any particular need to spend our time talking. So we were quite happy to let Umino prattle on about computer games or UFOs or whatever his latest craze was; while he just seemed happy to have the chance to talk, and if he noticed that we weren't really listening, it never bothered him.

Our route took us through Azabu-Juban's main shopping centre, and it was here that I stopped as I suddenly realised that Umino had addressed a question to me.

"What did you say?"

"Have you seen the new Sailor V game, Naru-chan?"

"No, I didn't even know there was one."

"Want to try it out? I know they have it in here." He gestured towards the door we were passing – a double door with "Crown Arcade", in English letters, blazoned on the glass.

I frowned. "I don't know if we should…."

"How about you, Usagi-chan?"

"Sure, it can't hurt," she said. Her hand was already on the door handle, when she looked round and added, "Who is Sailor V?"

"Oh, Usagi-chan!" I said. "Don't you pay any attention to the news?"

Umino was happy to fill her in. "Sailor V is the schoolgirl heroine in a sailor suit who foils crime and fights for justice. The police are baffled about her true identity, but I've heard a theory that she may not be human at all…."

"Oh, honestly, Umino-kun…," I said.

"Well, why not?" he said. "There's plenty of evidence for life on Venus and the other planets, if you know where to look, and maybe they can make themselves appear human so that they can blend in without alarming us."

I hastily changed the subject. "And they've made a game about her?"

His eyes lit up. "Yes, and you really should try it out."

Usagi seemed keen, and I was in no hurry to get back and spend a couple of very dull hours helping Mother, so we all went inside.

The warm air and the gentle electric humming as soon as we stepped through the doors gave the place a cosy atmosphere. Rows of arcade machines were set up, with a few taken up by eager players egged on by huddles of friends; it all seemed very welcoming and friendly. A young man was coming up to greet us; his red apron, worn over a sky-blue shirt, showed that he was the supervisor on duty. He was tall and thin, unnaturally thin, and his pleasantly symmetrical features moulded into a vacuous smile as he bowed and said, "Welcome to the Crown Arcade. My name is Furuhata Motoki, at your service."

Umino told him we were interested in the Sailor V game, and he led us to a machine in the far corner of the room, away from the other patrons. "Who wants to go first?" he asked.

We glanced at each other, and then Usagi volunteered. Motoki sat her down, and showed her the controls and how the game worked. I stood behind and watched. It seemed to be a fairly monotonous shooting game, with grotesque reptilian monsters as Sailor V's opponents. Needless to say, it bore no resemblance at all to the scene I had witnessed on television the day before.

After a while I grew tired of this, and looked round at Umino. I was surprised to see him standing some distance off, rhythmically tapping one foot on the floor; he was staring into the distance, not at anything in particular, just deliberately looking away.

"Umino-kun?" I said. "Is something wrong?"

He mumbled something unintelligible and shook his head slightly towards where Usagi and Motoki were sitting, and suddenly I understood. There was nothing untoward about it, of course; Motoki _had_ to be that close to her to get a proper grip on the controls; but I could guess what Umino's evident discomfort might mean. I frowned.

"Why don't you say something to Usagi, if you feel that way?" I said.

He faded back, looking like a frightened rabbit. "Oh, no, I couldn't do that…."

"Umino-kun…." I shook my head. But it was clear that Umino was not going to do anything, so I went over to Usagi and said, "How are you getting along?"

Usagi was too busy firing streaks of light into an enormous yellow lizard to answer. Motoki looked around at me and said, "She's doing really well. Would you like to give it a try?"

"Sure," I said, and soon Motoki was setting me up on another computer and showing me what to do. I glanced round to see whether Umino would take this opportunity to strike up a conversation with Usagi, but he seemed to be content to watch her from a distance. I sighed and lifted myself up.

"Is something wrong?" said Motoki.

"Sorry, I just don't really feel like doing this," I said. I looked round again. Sailor V was disintegrating in a burst of violet flame, but Usagi was unperturbed, and pressed the button to start a new game. Well, at least she looked like she was enjoying herself.

I wandered off. What I really wanted was a bit of time by myself to keep thinking about what I wanted to do with the Pen. The problem was that Usagi seemed so happy; there was nothing about her life that needed fixing; and she didn't yet have any plans or ambitions for the future that I could help to make come true. Sure, she got depressed about her schoolwork sometimes, but that never lasted long; and I knew that she didn't have any burning desire to excel at school. She occasionally quarrelled with her brother, but for the most part she had a happy family life; I was pretty envious, to be honest. And she was the kind of person who never gave much thought to the future, but just took in each day as it came and made sure to greet it with a smile. At least, that was how her life looked from the outside; but then, one thing you never really know about a person is how they would write their own life if they could.

I strolled idly towards the back door of the arcade, past a row of crane games, and gazed for a while through the back door – a large glass door like the front one. A cat was lazing on the porch outside in the sunshine. Then it stood up and looked towards me for a second, and I was surprised to recognise it as the cat I had created with the Pen the night before.

She seemed to recognise me too; she came up to the door and nuzzled and pawed at it, as though hoping it would yield to her touch.

Motoki had come up behind me. "Go away," he said to the cat, not crossly but in a tone of amused resignation.

"You know this cat?" I asked.

"Oh, she turned up here last night and wouldn't give me any peace until I'd let her have some food," he said. "But I'm not letting her inside during the day; it's hard enough keeping an eye on a bunch of rowdy teenagers without having to look out for a cat as well."

I smiled. I was glad to know that she had managed to get some food, at least. I really should have realised that she might not be so able to look after herself as I had hoped, since she lacked the experience a cat of her apparent age would normally have.

But that was something to think about later. I went back and watched Usagi for a while longer, and then gently hinted that it was time for us to be going. She was a little reluctant, but she could see that I'd had enough of watching, so she swung off her seat with a smile and took my arm, and we sauntered back out into the now fading sunlight together.

"You looked like you were having a good time back there," I said.

"It was so cool!" she gushed. "And wasn't Motoki-san so nice?"

"I… I really couldn't say," I mumbled.

"He was lovely!" said Usagi. "He had such a friendly touch… I could feel a sort of warmth flooding right through me all the time we were together."

"Oh? What sort of warmth?"

"I don't know how to describe it," Usagi said dreamily. "It was just… well, it was like having hot chocolate flowing through my body, if you know what I mean."

"I think I do," I said guardedly, and then lapsed into silence. I wasn't at all happy with the way this conversation was going. Certainly, Motoki had come across as a nice person; but I didn't feel he would be at all the right person for Usagi. He lacked depth. He was carefree and gentle, and would be fun to be around in happy times and a comfort in sad times… but much of life is neither one nor the other, and spending those long days with someone like him would just get dull. And Usagi was worthy of better than that. She needed someone with a great heart and an intricate mind. She needed someone magical.

I decided to change the subject. "What did you think of the Sailor V game?"

"It was awesome," she said. "I wish I could be like her! I bet she doesn't have to worry about what she gets on her test results."

I laughed, and thought nothing further of her remark at the time. We waved goodbye, and I went back home and put in another couple of hours helping Mother set up the shop, during which I took the opportunity to lock up the basement again so that she would never know anything had happened. It was when I was resting after carrying a large box upstairs that the big idea came to me. Such a simple idea, as well. Usagi had said she wished she could be like Sailor V. Well, why not?

In my mind's eye I could see her, dressed in a superhero costume like Sailor V's, grinning as she waved to someone she had just rescued from a burning house, and then sweeping round and vanishing before they could get a good look at her face. She would like that, I knew. She would go round for the rest of the day with a secret little smile every time she looked back and remembered the person she had saved and how grateful they had been.

By the time I went to my room after supper, I was already constructing scenarios and imagining what Usagi would do, just as though she were a character in one of my stories. But there was no point in taking things too far. There would be plenty of time yet for working out the details; what was important now was to get the preliminaries set up. It would be quite a task, but I was looking forward to it.

I made sure the door was tightly closed, and then took the Pen out and intoned, "_Fantasy Power Makeup!_"


	8. Book I Ch 7 The Problem with Perfect Men

**(o)**

**7  
>The Problem with All Perfect Men<br>**

This time I had the advantage of being able to watch my transformation in the full-length mirror that hung on the wall. It was as though a whirlwind of ribbons had surrounded me, hiding me completely. They twisted around each other in a flurry of colour, weaving together so quickly that before I could see what was going on, I stood there dressed in my costume as a sailor warrior; and a band of light streamed forward over my breasts before solidifying into my cream-coloured front bow. One thing I had not noticed the first time was that the costume included a platinum tiara, a simple band of metal that formed a V-shape over my forehead, with a brilliant white diamond embedded at the centre. I stood for a while, just looking at myself. This costume wasn't at all _me_, but in the end, I just had to smile.

"Thetis!" I called out. "Thetis, come forth!"

I waited a while, and then looked around impatiently; there was no sign of her. Then I glanced back towards the mirror, and jolted in shock. A misty shadow was standing just behind my reflection. Cautiously, hardly daring to breathe, I turned my head just enough to look at whatever it was that was really there behind me. There was nothing there.

I looked back at the mirror, and saw the shadow seem to solidify as it drifted towards me; and then as its face came out into the light, I saw that it was Thetis herself, not in reflection but actually _inside_ the mirror; and she stepped out and stood in front of me. Now that I saw her for the first time in bright light, she was tall and imperious, her black hair streaming down to the back of her knees. Her features were stern and cold; and she looked down on me through half-closed eyes, magnificently still, like a sculpture carved from ice; and somehow this made me feel I was an annoyance to her even more than if she had actually looked irritated.

"Did you have to make such a dramatic entrance?" I said. "You nearly frightened me out of my skin!"

"Your pardon, Mistress," Thetis said with a little bow. "I did not want to risk being noticed by your mother if I entered by the door."

"Well, I suppose that's reasonable," I admitted with a sigh. "Anyway, I've summoned you because I've decided what I want to do with the Pen. And I'll need your help."

Thetis stepped over to the door and held out a hand towards it. As she concentrated, minuscule drops of water rose from the cracks in the floorboards, forming tiny threads that came together into a stream as they rose into her hand; and she sent them out in an intricate web that gathered in the gaps around the frame of the door, sealing it shut.

"We will not be overheard now, Mistress," she said. "Tell me, what is this plan of yours?"

I sat back down and drummed my fingers against the armrest for a while. Even knowing that Thetis was a spirit and bound to do my bidding and keep my secrets, it was not easy to put my thoughts into words. While they remained my thoughts, they were safe; it was as though a shadowy cocoon was wrapped around them. I'm not sure if I thought I would look foolish, or whether I was worried that Thetis would tell me it couldn't be done and that all my dreams would be dashed to pieces before they had even had a chance at life. I just knew that I was shaking, that my body was trying to prevent me from speaking the words. But Thetis just waited patiently for me to begin, and at last I drew a deep breath and pulled myself together.

"It's my friend Usagi," I said. "I want to use the Pen to give her magical powers. To make her into a superhero."

Thetis remained expressionless. "What kind of superhero?"

I blinked. "Uh… there are different kinds?"

"As many as there are different fantasies."

"Well, I mean a superhero like that Sailor V we saw on television. A magical warrior."

"And what do you mean by that, exactly?"

I screwed up my face as I struggled to find the right words. "I mean rescuing people in danger, defending the city… that sort of thing…," I said; and then I stamped my foot. I'd felt for a moment as if the words were desperate to fly out of me after being cocooned for so long, but once I started to speak, I just realised how _stupid_ and childish I sounded. I really didn't have any idea what I was talking about.

Thetis, however, looked thoughtful. "You want your friend to fight crime?" she said.

"Well, no, not as such," I said quickly. I remembered very clearly the feeling of terror when I had first heard Thetis enter the room and thought she might be a criminal. Usagi would cope with that even worse than I had done, I just knew it.

"What, then?"

"Well… something more like that computer game we were playing this afternoon. Saving people from monsters."

"And where are you going to find these monsters?" She remained infuriatingly calm.

I hadn't thought about that. "I… I guess we'll have to create them…."

Thetis sighed. "Let me get this straight," she said. "You want to create some monsters specifically for your friend to fight, so that you can give her the satisfaction of feeling she's helped people. Helped rescue them from a danger that didn't exist until you created it."

I didn't like being spoken to in that way. Somehow, it made me all the more determined to justify my idea. "Well, why not? She doesn't have to know that we're behind it. To her, it will all be real."

"And to the people in danger, it won't be? What if it goes wrong and your friend doesn't manage to save everyone?"

I frowned. I was annoyed by the way Thetis seemed to have an answer for everything, but she _did_ have a point. "I see," I said slowly. "Then… oh, I know! I'll make the monsters just drain people's energy, so there's no real danger of anyone being hurt. And if things go wrong, I can just use the Pen to put them back to normal afterwards."

I looked up at Thetis, who was still standing, her serene face showing no emotion. "Well, how about that?" I said.

"The Pen could be used for that," Thetis said quietly. "But tell me – do you really know what it means to be a magical warrior?"

There was something about her tone that seemed to send a chill through the air around us. "What do you mean?" I said.

"I wonder whether you would really want to give your friend such a burden if you knew what it meant," said Thetis. "The power to save lives and right injustices – what happens, then, when you find out that no matter how much you do, there will always be injustice in the world that you just can't fight?"

I stared.

"I don't know what you mean," I said faintly. "I'm just trying to spread a little more happiness and goodwill around the place, not… not solve all the world's problems or any such thing! What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. Just a thought," Thetis said quickly. "After all, you have the Pen. It is up to you to decide how you will use it. So long as you are prepared to accept the responsibility for it if things go wrong."

I tutted. "What could go wrong? I have a Pen that can do anything, remember."

Thetis shook her head. "The Pen runs on the power of narrative causality," she said. "It will not allow you to write anything that spoils the story. You may sometimes be able to find a way of putting your mistakes right, but you can never simply erase what has already happened. You cannot change the past, alter the flow of time, or bring the dead back to life."

"Well, all right," I said. "But you're taking this much too seriously. I'm just going to have a bit of fun and bring some light into people's lives, and no-one will be in any danger of dying."

"It always starts with the best of intentions," said Thetis.

"Oh, don't be so negative," I snapped. "What does it matter, what the other masters of the Pen did? You can't judge me by them. I can learn to be more sensible than they were, and you can tell me if you think I'm doing something wrong. But I won't have you try to stop me doing this before I've even begun. I can't just put the Pen back and pretend I never found it!"

"No. I would not ask you to do that."

"Then what's the problem?" I said, forcing my face into a cheesy grin. "Come on, let's get started. We've got a lot of details to get worked out."

"Very well, Mistress," Thetis said with a sweep of her head. "Where shall we start?"

I considered.

"We'll start by giving Usagi the power to transform," I said. "Can I make it so that if she says a certain phrase, she'll go through a transformation similar to mine?"

I won't go through everything that was said between us, but Thetis helped me work out what I had to write with the Pen in order to make this happen. I decided that Usagi would be "Sailor Moon", the sailor warrior of love and justice, because it had a nice sound, and there was a certain air of mystery about it. I wrote a description of the costume she would transform into, basing it on mine, but adding a few touches of colour and ornament that would make her appearance more memorable. Her tiara would be golden, and I also gave her the power to use it as a weapon. A magical weapon that would not do much damage to a normal person, but would work against the monsters I was going to create.

"Anything more?" I said at last.

"I can't think of anything," Thetis admitted.

"Excellent." I paused and twiddled the Pen between my fingers. "So, next… oh, I know! I need to give myself another secret identity, so that I can control the monsters."

"More details," Thetis said to no-one in particular.

"No, I don't need any help with this one," I said, grinning. And I flipped my notebook onto a clean sheet and wrote rapidly.

I think that perhaps every thirteen-year-old girl has a secret identity inside them, someone they feel they would be if others could look behind their physical trappings and see them the way their heart feels they are. And I had known mine intimately for so long, had seen her in mirrors so often when I half-closed my eyes and allowed imagination to veil what I saw, that I had no difficulty in writing her description – my description – down to the smallest detail. And when at last I laid the Pen down and looked up at the mirror, I could see the transformation already beginning to take hold. My hair, which is of the colour everyone calls red but isn't really, had turned to the deep crimson it had always dreamt of being, and was growing wild over my shoulders in cascading waves, sleek, shimmering and terrible. My skin became ghostly pale, and my features hardened into a kind of permanent leering frown, as though I looked on the world as a play that I was not finding very entertaining, and everyone in it as a contemptible ham actor. My eyes sank under the contours of my brow, two red searchlights glaring out that spoke of fiery passion in the soul behind them. My arms became long and slender, the white skin grotesquely scarred in a few places to show that I wasn't afraid of pain and didn't care who knew it. Add to this a few touches of jewellery, a tiara crowned with an emerald the size of an eye, golden earrings, and ornately crafted armbands of steel and silver mounted with aquamarines, and I was a tyrant of the night such as men would fear to look upon, a being of glamour and terror separated from the world by a veil of enchantment and dazzling light and deep crevices of shadow. I was Queen Beryl!

I rose to my feet and turned towards Thetis, noticing for the first time that I had grown. I was tall and magnificent, my body contoured like a statue, the body not just of an adult but of one who wasn't afraid of being one. I was actually looking down on Thetis, and she seemed, for the first time, to be just a little intimidated.

"How do I look?" I said with a wicked smile.

Thetis's mouth fell open, but no words came out.

"I asked you a question, minion!" I said. "How do I look?"

Thetis immediately threw herself to her knees and bowed her head. "You… you look stunning, Your Majesty," she stuttered.

A strange feeling had passed over me for a moment, but it was gone. "Oh, get up," I laughed. "You don't have to talk to me like that, and you know it."

Thetis rose clumsily to her feet. "I beg your pardon, Mistress."

"That's better," I said. "Come on, you're supposed to be my advisor. If you're going to tremble like that, you'll be too frightened to give me advice. Look, I don't know what came over me just then; it must have been the effect of the transformation."

"I have seen many previous masters use the Pen to transform themselves, and I can tell you, it doesn't work like that."

"Well, I am a writer," I said. "I suppose it's just natural for me to get into character."

"I did warn you about what the Pen can do."

"Oh, nonsense!" I laughed. "There's no harm in it; it's not as though it changes who I really am."

"Doesn't it?" said Thetis. "Your fantasies are just as real a part of you as your actions."

"Look, this isn't my fantasy," I said. "This is just a character I'm creating for Usagi's story. Every story needs a good villain; otherwise there would be no tension and no drama."

"I don't like it."

I sighed, and scribbled again in my notebook. "All right, I'll change back for now if that makes you feel better." But it took a moment to adjust to the feel of being back in my normal body again; my arms now felt as though I was missing a part at the end of them, and there was an odd kind of stiffness about my shoulders and face muscles that I was not used to feeling. But I shook my arms around, and the feeling soon passed.

"I am glad to see you looking yourself again, Mistress," said Thetis.

I smiled. "But I'll have to give myself a way of transforming back into Queen Beryl when I need her," I said. "It would take too long to do it with the Pen each time. I think I'll make it so that if I touch a beryl and say 'Beryl Power Makeup', I'll transform into her. I won't need a phrase for transforming back; my regular transformation phrase should do that."

"As you wish, Mistress."

"So, what's next?" I said. "We've got Usagi's transformation, and we've got a villain; what we still need is a love interest."

"And how are you going to create that?"

"Oh, no," I said. "The perfect man has to be found, not created. I know I'm not a good enough writer to make an ideal man from scratch."

"So how are you going to do that?"

I went over to my computer and started it up. Well, it really belongs to Mother, but since she got a new LC II over the school break, she let her old SE/30 come and live in my room.

"Have you used a database before?" I asked Thetis.

"No, mistress," she said. "But I can learn."

"Very well," I said, writing rapidly on a fresh page of my notebook. "I'm creating a magical database that will contain details of everyone in the city. You must use it to find out which of them is Usagi's perfect man."

Thetis bowed in acknowledgement, and I showed her how to use the database. I pulled up a chair, and she sat down with her hands hovering over the keyboard, ready for my orders.

"Firstly," I said, "eliminate all females. Eliminate all men over twenty-five; that's too old for Usagi. Eliminate all men younger than eighteen; I want an adult man who can take her out without having to be chaperoned by his parents. And he must be wealthy. You got all that?"

"Yes, I've got it."

"Next, eliminate anyone shorter than one metre sixty or taller than one eighty, and anyone who weighs over ninety kilos. Eliminate anyone with a disability or deformity. I know they can't help it, but I want Usagi to have the best man possible."

"Isn't it what's on the inside that counts?"

"Yes, but I've added psychological information to the profiles as well," I said. "Let's see… it's hard to know how to express this. He mustn't be petty or selfish or uninteresting. Someone that Usagi could spend her life with must have poetry in his soul. Make him creative and mysterious, a man of quirks and dark flashes, someone who looks ordinary on the surface but could be endlessly fascinating when you get to know him. The sort of man who could kill a girl as easily as kiss one if he really wanted to; but he must have a heart full of kindness towards the one he loves. He must do everything he can for her and pay her every attention; he must be gentle and passionate in his caresses, and loyal to the bitter end…."

Thetis had been typing rapidly while I was talking, but now she came to a halt. "You can stop there," she said. "I've eliminated all but one man."

"Really?" My heart was pounding. "Tell me about him!"

I sat down beside her as she brought up the profile on the screen – and instantly gasped with delight. He was, quite simply, the most gorgeous man I had ever seen, tall and strong, with waves of white hair shimmering down over his shoulders.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"An American. Malachi Kunz, or, if you want to call him by his business name – Kunzite."

"Not… not Kunzite as in Kunzite Tower?"

"That's the one."

"Wow!" My mind flooded with fantasies. Kunzite Tower was an enormous skyscraper in the heart of the city. Everyone knew that the man who owned it was fabulously wealthy, but he was a mysterious recluse and no-one knew anything else about him. To think of such a man marrying my Usagi! I gushed out tears of happiness. Why, the loose change he carried in his pockets would probably have bought my mother's jewellery shop and everything in it.

I can't even remember what I said, but I had been rhapsodising out loud for a good long while when I suddenly became aware that Thetis was giving me a very strange look.

"Is something wrong?" I said.

"Do you really think he'll fall in love with Usagi?"

"He can't possibly resist!" I beamed. "Not after they've rescued each other from the monsters and he's carried her to safety in his arms, and seen her face melting with gratitude. He must have such a lonely life in that tower of his, and I'm sure he's just never discovered what a glorious feeling it is to know that someone is alive because of you…."

"You know, there is one small snag…."

"Nonsense! When two people are destined to be together, nothing can stand in their way for long."

"But…."

I saw Thetis was trying to tell me something, so I sighed and tapped a foot on the floor.

"Well, what is it?"

"He's gay."


	9. Book I Ch 8 The Man in the Mirror

**(o)**

**8  
>The Man in the Mirror<strong>

I closed my eyes and counted to ten under my breath.

"Why on earth didn't you say so sooner?"

Thetis was impassive as always. "You didn't ask."

"I would have thought it was obvious. If we're trying to find Usagi's ideal man, he can't be gay! Can't you do anything on your own initiative?"

"I was simply following your instructions, and it did not occur to me."

"Oh, very well," I said. "Let's go back to the beginning. This time, _first_ eliminate all gay men. Oh, and don't forget to eliminate all married men, since I suppose you haven't done that either. Now, can you remember the rest of the instructions from last time?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Well, just go through them again, and just try not to eliminate absolutely everyone this time," I said. "It doesn't matter if he's _slightly_ less than perfect. Do you think you can do that?"

Thetis nodded, and started typing rapidly, while I stood back and waited as patiently as I could. After some minutes, Thetis leant back, and I looked as a new profile appeared on the screen. "Chiba Mamoru," she said.

I studied him intently. He was not stunningly beautiful like Kunzite, but handsome in a quieter sort of way – the sort of man who would not stand out in a crowd, but who would light up the room when you were alone with him. He looked younger than Kunzite, too, which was another plus; I would have put him at around eighteen. I nodded appreciatively.

"He'll do," I said. "And you're sure he's not gay?"

"Quite sure."

There was a noticeable edge to her tone, and I shot her a glance. "What is it this time that you're not telling me?"

"What do…."

"I can tell when you're hiding something."

She shook her head and sighed. "He has a girlfriend already."

"Oh, that's not a problem – I thought it was going to be something much worse!" I laughed. "I'm sure we can deal with that."

"She might not be all that easy to deal with," said Thetis, bringing up another page of information. I blinked. The girl in the picture was stunningly beautiful, a pale face framed by long black hair, and a fierce look in her eyes that told me she would be a formidable adversary.

"Who is she?" I asked.

"Hino Rei, a miko at the Hikawa Shrine on Sendai Hill. She is rumoured to have a sixth sense that gives her glimpses into the future, and she will certainly be trained to sense and banish spirits, and you know what _that_ means."

"No?"

"It means I may not be able to help you deal with her."

"We'll find a way," I said. "We have the Pen, remember?"

"That, I cannot forget," said Thetis. "But _you_ need to remember that it does not allow you to do just anything. You must not get reckless with it, or you will create a situation that you cannot handle."

I stamped my foot. "Why are you always so negative?"

Thetis sighed, and drew her chair away from the computer. "Tell me something, Mistress," she said. "Now that you have the Pen, will you guard it as your most treasured possession?"

"Of course!" I said with vehemence.

Thetis's tone remained menacingly quiet. "And when you have children of your own, will you hand it on to them and make sure they have been taught to guard it as well as you do?"

"Yes, of course I will."

"And what do you think every previous master of the Pen has said when I asked those questions?"

For the first time, I hesitated. "The same, I suppose."

"Yes, exactly the same. And how, then, do you imagine the Pen ended up in your mother's basement with no-one to take care of it?"

She was giving me the kind of look teachers always give you when they know they are in the right, and I couldn't meet her eyes. "I… I don't know," I said.

"It's always the same," said Thetis. "No matter how good their intentions, the feeling of suddenly having more power than they ever dreamt of makes them overconfident."

I drew a deep breath. "I promise I'll be careful," I said. "_Please_. You just have to trust me. I can't give up on this, now that we've come so far."

Thetis frowned. "So what are you going to do, Mistress?"

I'd had half my mind on the problem while we were talking, and by that time I had my answer ready. "I'll put Mamoru under an enchantment so that whenever Usagi is in danger, he'll transform automatically and be on the scene to help her," I said. "And I'll make it so that at those times, he'll have no memory of who he really is, so that he'll be free to fall in love with her. Then, eventually, when the time comes, we can make him regain his memory, and by then he'll know that it's Usagi and not Rei that he wants to be with."

There was a long silence.

"Well, what's wrong now?" I said.

"There are so many things that could go wrong…."

"If anything does go wrong, I'll just use the Pen to set it right."

"And what if you find that you can't and you've messed up their lives for nothing?"

"I'm not going to mess up their lives," I said firmly. "Mamoru won't have any memory of his transformations, so if anything does go wrong, I can take away the enchantment and then their lives will be back to normal."

"Very well, Mistress," Thetis said after another long pause. "What shall we do next?"

I glanced at the clock. "We'd better continue tomorrow," I said. "We've done a good day's work, but I'm getting tired. I'd like to have a bit more time to think things over and see what else needs to be done."

* * *

><p>The next day was uneventful, as far as school was concerned. Usagi surprised me by insisting on visiting the Crown Arcade again on our way home; but when I saw the way she smiled at Motoki, I thought I knew why. I decided that the thing to do was to monopolise Motoki's attention for myself, so I waited until he had got Usagi set up on the Sailor V game, and then took him aside and asked him how the cat was doing.<p>

He frowned. "I'd be grateful if you could help me find a home for her," he said. "I can't look after her here for ever, and my parents won't take her. They're worried she might not get on with my baby sister."

I looked round at him. "You're really worried about her, aren't you?"

"I always like to do good for others, when I can."

"Just cats, or does that include people?" I asked quietly.

He turned round and gave me a very strange look. "Now, what do you mean by that?"

"Just a thought I was having," I said. "Don't worry about it."

I closed my ears as we walked home; I didn't want to listen to Usagi gushing about her feelings for Motoki. I knew there was nothing really deep there; but she had not yet known real love, and did not know how to tell the difference. I'm not trying to say that I knew any better, of course; but I knew well enough from the stories I'd read that it has to be based on more than just a feeling of warmth you get when someone you like sits next to you.

So I was in a determined mood when I summoned Thetis again that evening. "I've been thinking," I said.

"Yes, Mistress?"

"We need to get the plan moving, before things between Usagi and Motoki develop any further."

She nodded. "And what are you planning to do?"

"My mother's jewellery sale is the day after tomorrow. It'll be a great opportunity to have a large crowd of people for the monsters to attack, and I'll be right there, in case anything happens and I need to intervene."

"As you wish, Mistress."

"And I want you to be there, out of sight, just so that we can be absolutely sure nothing will go wrong."

Thetis smiled. "I'm glad my warnings have at least had some effect."

"Let's just say I prefer to keep you happy if we're going to work together as a team," I said. "Now, the next question is how Usagi should find out about her magical powers."

"And what is your plan for that?"

I'd been thinking about that question on the journey home. "You remember the cat I created, the first time I used the Pen?" I said. "I heard from Motoki that she's not doing well…."

"That does not surprise me," said Thetis. "When you created it, it will have suddenly become aware of its existence, with no knowledge of how to use its own body, how to find shelter, avoid danger and hunt for prey. It can learn, of course, just as any creature can; but it would be like bringing a newborn into the world with no-one to take care of it."

I gulped. "Why didn't you warn me sooner?" I cried. "She might have died!"

"I was not aware that you had any particular interest in the matter."

"_How can you say that?_" I burst out. But even this had no effect on Thetis's calm.

I took a deep breath. "Well, that's in the past," I said. "But listen, could I use the Pen to make her know how to look after herself, just as if she were a normal adult cat?"

"Certainly," said Thetis. "The Pen works in mysterious ways. When you wrote that you wanted a cat to appear, an _individual_ cat appeared, with details of size and coloration that you had not specified. Its internal organs functioned correctly from the moment of its creation, even though you do not know enough about biology to describe them in detail. The Pen always fills in missing details in this manner, to the best of its ability. If you wrote that your cat acquires the knowledge of how to look after itself, then that would happen – you do not need to write down every detail."

"Thank goodness," I said with a sigh of relief. "And – could I give it intelligence, and the power of speech?"

It was a long time before Thetis spoke, and when her voice came, it was dry and grainy. "I would not attempt that," she said.

"But why?"

She sighed deeply. "Because you have no idea of the complexity of the task, or of the risks you would be taking. Creating an intelligent creature with the Pen is like creating a fictional character: once you set up the initial conditions – the appearance and personality you want them to have – they are no longer fully under your control."

I sat down on the bed and thought about this for a moment. "But that's all right," I said at last. "I wouldn't want her to be under my control – it's just not practical to have to write down everything she does. And what are you worried about – that she would rebel against me? She's only a cat!"

"Yet even the smallest creatures can change the world in surprising ways," said Thetis. "Surely, as a writer, you know that."

I scowled. "Well, I have the Pen," I said.

"You should not let it become a crutch that you lean on in every situation."

"You're always so full of negativity," I snapped at her. "Listen – as you said, I'm a writer. It would be dull if characters never developed in ways that we don't expect."

"Then, if you're determined…."

"I am," I said firmly.

"Then there is nothing more to be said on the matter."

She looked away with a shake of her head; I was not sure whether she was cross with me, or just did not like losing the argument.

"Good, then that's decided," I said. "But we'll do that tomorrow night, so that she can meet Usagi on Friday morning, the day of the sale. There's something else to do first."

She sighed and looked back towards me. "And what is that?"

"We can't let Usagi see you, not yet. You're my backup in case of emergencies. So I'll need to have someone else to control the monsters. A kind of commanding officer."

Her face was drawn and pale. "You are really…."

"Yes, I'm really sure," I said. "I know the kind of story I want to create, and every story needs a good villain. So, what should I do?"

Thetis's mouth curled up as though she were unwilling to answer, but the magic of the Pen meant that she had no choice.

"I would suggest you make him appear as an image in the mirror first of all. Add as much detail as you want before allowing him to break free and become real."

"An excellent idea," I said, grinning. I swivelled my chair round to face the mirror, and held the notebook in front of me so that I could watch what was happening as I wrote.

"Now," I said, "I need a man, handsome as gold, smooth, suave and convincing… with just a slight leer about the corner of his mouth that speaks of the malice hidden deep within his heart… such a man as any woman would kill to possess, and then kill herself to be free of him."

It was not, of course, these words, but much more detail that I wrote with the Pen; and when I finally came to a halt, I could see him in front of me just as I had imagined him. He was of medium height and slim, with short, messy blond hair, green eyes, pale skin and a pointed face; he wore a metallic grey military uniform with red trimmings, and smart brown boots. He was frozen in time; I saw him as if through a mist on the surface of the mirror.

I breathed a sigh of deep satisfaction, and then looked round to see what Thetis had to say. But she said nothing; she was staring at the figure in the mirror as if she were equally lifeless herself.

"Thetis!" I called out. "Wake up!"

"Huh?" She blinked a few times, then passed a hand in front of her eyes. "I beg your pardon, Mistress. I don't know what came over me. I just forgot where I was for a moment."

"It's all right," I said wearily. "But let's finish this. You need to tell me what to do to bring him to life."

"Oh yes," she said. "You just need to keep in your mind an image of the person you want him to be. It does not matter if you can't write down everything about him in full detail. So long as you have that image, the Pen can develop his personality from that initial conception."

"I see," I said, staring thoughtfully up at the mirror. Well, I wasn't at all sure of what I was doing, but I wasn't going to give up. I did my best to keep focused, and wrote rapidly, without once looking up until I was finished. By then I was breathing heavily, trying to stop myself jumping ahead and wondering what was going to happen, what he would be like –

He was moving. He was blinking steadily, and his head turned slowly from one side to the other and his eyes moved up and down. He was sniffing, and his arms were trembling.

This wasn't what I had expected. "What's he doing?" I said.

"His mind is adjusting to the feel of his body," said Thetis. "Be patient."

I nodded. It was time to get ready, so I stood up and transformed into Queen Beryl.

His hand reached forward. The mist on the surface of the mirror faded, leaving a thin film through which he then stepped out. He stood in front of me, rigid and proud, stretching himself out to his full height, and made a deep bow.

"Your Majesty," he said. "I am proud to be at your service."

I smiled in return – the kind of smile that made it clear I knew our relative positions. "Jadeite," I said, "I am glad you have awoken. I have a vital mission to entrust to you. We need to gather human energy for the revival of the Dark Kingdom. In this building, in two days' time, there will be a large gathering of people, which will be ideal for you to get to work on."

"It that all?" he said. "That will be too easy."

"My servant, Thetis, will help you find your way around and show you what to do," I said, indicating her with a wave of my hand. "But I want you to remember, we must not jeopardise the operation by showing our hand too soon. Do you understand me?"

He laughed. "Oh, don't be concerned about that; I will be silent and efficient," he said. He glanced towards Thetis. "I suppose you'd better show me where to go. Through really, I don't know what use a mere slip of a girl like you can be to me."

And he saluted, swung round and slapped his knees together, and strode out, without even noticing the hand that Thetis extended towards him.


	10. Book I Ch 9 The Moon Also Rises

**(o)**

**9  
>The Moon Also Rises<br>**

I'll never know how we managed it, but somehow, by nine o'clock on Thursday evening we had everything set up for the next day's sale. The shop floor was laid out with an array of cabinets, everything neatly cleaned and polished, and all full to bursting with sparkling jewels; and all our wares that weren't part of the sale had been stacked away. The lighting was arranged so that we could turn off the main lights, leaving the audience in shadow, and still have our displays shining as bright as sunfire.

I said a weary goodnight to Mother, but as soon as I left her, there was a spring in my step as I rushed up to my room and once again summoned Thetis.

"Everything is ready, Mistress," she said in response to my question.

"And Jadeite?"

"I have found somewhere for him to stay, and shown him how to use his powers. He will be waiting until a large crowd are present, and then he will strike."

"Good," I said. "Then we just need to sort things out with the cat."

I wrote a few lines, and almost immediately heard the cat mewing just outside the window. I let her in, and she jumped into Thetis's arms. I sat down and wrote again, and the cat curled up and at once fell unconscious.

I wrote busily for a while, giving her the power of speech and a personality that I hoped would go well with Usagi's. My friend could be a bit too bubbly and enthusiastic at times, and I hoped that having a more level-headed companion would help to keep her in check a little.

"Are you ready to wake her up?" Thetis said at last.

"I don't know," I said. "What am I meant to say to her?"

"Do you mean you haven't worked that out yet?"

I sighed. "I've had a lot of things to think about, as you know," I said. "Come on, you could give me a bit more help here."

"You are the writer," said Thetis. "Think about what you need to happen, and then tell me what her character must be like to make it so."

"All right," I said, taking a deep breath. "We want her to tell Usagi about her magical powers. So… she has to believe that it's her task to find and awaken the sailor warriors."

"Sailor warriors?"

"You know, the other superheroes like Sailor V," I said. "They are agents of justice who awaken at times of great peril – such as this, the resurrection of the Dark Kingdom."

I stopped, and looked inquiringly at Thetis. She shook her head.

"It sounds just a little flimsy," she said. "Where is Usagi supposed to believe she gets her powers from? If she is a chosen agent of justice, then who chose her? What do the Dark Kingdom want, and why is it so important that she fight against them?"

"Look, this is just her first battle," I said. "She doesn't need to know the whole story."

"But _you_ should know the whole story before you begin. What happens needs to be part of a bigger picture; otherwise it does not seem convincing."

"I don't see why," I said. "So long as we can make it part of a bigger picture later on, we don't have to know everything now. We don't have time to work out all the details, anyway."

"If you don't have time for details, then you don't have time to be a writer," said Thetis. "It's just as you saw with Jadeite; the details are what makes a story, just the same as a person, really come to life."

"I'm not asking you to teach me how to write," I said crossly. "For now, we've just got to get this thing started, and we can sort out the details later."

"Very well," Thetis said with a resigned sigh. "Are you going to wake the cat up, then?"

"Yes," I said. "And by the way, her name is going to be Luna."

Thetis nodded and put the cat down. I wrote another line, and she stretched herself awake and tilted her head up to look at me.

"Luna," I said, "I am so glad to see you awake again."

"That may be so," she said. Her voice was high-pitched and reedy, not at all like anything I was expecting. "I'm afraid I don't remember having seen you before."

"I am... um... Sailor Naru, the sailor warrior of fantasy and compassion."

"Ah, indeed."

"And your task is to find and awaken the other sailor warriors."

"Oh, is it?" she said, stretching out again. "And, might I ask, who is it who wants this task performed?"

"I do," I said crossly. "And you're my cat, Luna, so you should do what I ask of you."

"And why do you want me to do this?"

"The sailor warriors have to be awakened so that they can fight against the evil Dark Kingdom, who are threatening to take over the world."

"Ah, I see."

I was beginning to get impatient with her casual attitude. "Don't you understand?" I said. "The world's in danger! We have to gather the sailor warriors together in order to save it. Don't you care about the fate of the world?"

"I don't know," Luna yawned. "To be honest, _you're_ not doing a very good job of sounding like you care about it."

"What!" I took a step back, and took a deep breath to make sure I stayed calm. "I take offence to that," I said quietly.

"It's not my problem if you do."

She was really starting to get to me. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. "Luna," I said, "I don't have time to argue with you. There are evil forces at work in the city right now – an enemy the police can't handle." I tried to put as much conviction into my voice as I could, remembering those lunch breaks I had spent with Usagi, reading her my stories, and the techniques I had used to get into character. "The enemy are growing stronger. You must awaken Sailor Moon and teach her how to fight."

"And how will I find her?"

"That's better," I said. "I happen to know where Sailor Moon is. She is living close by, as a girl named Tsukino Usagi; Thetis will show you her house. She doesn't yet know anything of her true nature, so you much teach her how to use her powers."

"I will do that," said Luna. "And what then?"

"Then – well, just look after Sailor Moon," I said. "She may need your help while she's still getting used to fighting. But whatever you do, don't tell her about me yet – not until it's time for me to appear and fight with the others. It's better for now that I operate in secrecy, so that the enemy don't know about me and won't take me into account."

"I understand," said Luna. "But what if I need to communicate with you?"

I considered. "You'd better not come back here," I said. "Our meeting-place will be the Crown Arcade. I'll set up a computer there so you can leave a message for me at any time."

"Very good," said Luna. "Do you want me to go now?"

"Yes, unless there's anything else you need me to tell you."

"I do not think there is."

"Thetis?"

"I can think of nothing."

"Excellent!" I said, clapping my hands. "Then we're all ready. Thetis, show Luna where Usagi's house is, and I'll see you tomorrow at the sale. Luna, she'll probably be asleep by now, so don't approach her until the morning."

Thetis made a bow of acknowledgement, and stretched out an arm; Luna leapt up onto it, and Thetis gathered her up, stepped through the mirror, and was gone. I de-transformed and stood for a while, hugging myself with excitement, and then shook out of it and got ready for bed. The next day would be the fulfilment of all my planning, and there was nothing I could do now except wait for it.

* * *

><p>Mother had concocted an excuse to get me the day off school on Friday; she was hardly going to admit that she was keeping me away just so I could help her in the shop. As soon as our doors opened, the shop floor was packed, and we were both very busy. Mother went round with a megaphone, advertising our offers with such enthusiasm that I felt sure she would be unable to speak at all the next day – and would consider that a price well worth paying. My task was mostly to stand by the display cabinets, answer customers' questions if they were looking for anything in particular, and try items on if they wanted to see what they looked like being worn. Sometimes, my wearing an item would prompt the customer to say that it was not <em>quite<em> right and they would like to buy something else instead; and when this happened, I usually kept the items on so as to look more decorative, as I am not exactly what you would call a natural beauty. By the end of the first hour, my arms and head were festooned in glistening metals and shimmering stones in all manner of colours, and I wore two garish, unmatched earrings that swept across the bare skin of my shoulders whenever I turned my head.

The two of us were not, of course, the only staff. We had hired half a dozen security men especially for the occasion; two stood outside the door while the others patrolled inside. Once, I glanced at a pair who were walking through the shadows behind where I was stationed, and I caught my breath as I recognised one of them as a well-disguised Jadeite. Even though I felt sure I had everything under control, I was just so nervous; I nearly dropped a valuable necklace on the floor, but fortunately the customer standing next to me caught it just in time. I made a flustered apology.

Our regular shop assistant, Kisaragi Noriko, was on the tills; I knew her only slightly, as I was normally in school when she was working. Mother had hired a second assistant for the day, a European girl named Morgan, and she was on the other till. She seemed friendly, and smiled when she caught my eye, but as we were both so busy I did not get a chance to speak to her.

Morning wore on, and noon came at last. Normally, Mother would just eat a packed lunch in the shop, but for today she had decided to close the shop for an hour's lunch break to give us all a chance to unwind and recover some energy before the afternoon session.

Mother was locking the doors, and Morgan was tidying up the cabinets where a few unsold items had not been put back as neatly as they could be. After giving them a glance and an encouraging smile, I accepted the offer of Noriko's arm, and we walked off to the kitchen together. She was a young woman of quiet, business-like appearance, and we made a little small-talk about how I was doing in school and how well the sale had gone so far.

We made sandwiches, and then Noriko said she was popping out to get a drink. I took mine and Mother's sandwiches to her private office, and gratefully sank into a chair and tucked in. A minute later, I heard the door open behind me as Mother came in.

"Hello!" I said, without looking round. "Would you like a sandwich? I've made your favourite."

"Naru?" she said. "What are you doing here? This room is private."

I laughed as I got up; it was so rare to hear Mother making a joke that, even though it wasn't a very good one, it might me feel quite light-headed. But when I saw her coming towards me, something about the way she was moving made the laughter dry up in my throat. Her face was rigid, the eyes narrowed and unblinking, as though she was staring at something in front of me that I couldn't see. Her hands swung monotonously at her sides.

"Mother, what's wrong?" I said.

She somehow seemed to click into focus; I could see now that she was staring at me.

"_What is it?_"

"Who are you?" she said slowly.

"Mother!" I cried, stepping backwards. "You know me; I'm your daughter Naru!"

"My daughter?" Her eyes were blank and empty. "Do I have a daughter?"

"Of course!" I said. "Don't you remember me? We set up the shop together…."

I stopped. I wanted to go on and list all the things that we did together, everything that should have reminded her of who I was; but I could not. I couldn't think of anything. What did mothers normally do with their daughters? She'd never read me stories, even after Father died. She never asked me about school – well, she made sure I got my homework done on time, but she never let me tell her how I was getting on with my friends, or who my favourite teachers were. We had holidays together – no, it was more that she took me on holiday and then did her own thing. Cooking? I couldn't remember the last time we'd done that. Watching television? I never watched much, and anyway, the sort of shows she liked didn't appeal to me. We worked together in the shop, of course; but there was no personal feeling in that, nothing that couldn't have been done by any old assistant.

Why couldn't I think of anything? I looked up blankly and started to cry.

I was backed against the wall, and she was still coming towards me. It was like something out of a horror movie – and that was what provoked the sudden realisation.

"You're not my mother!" I cried. "Who are you?"

She smiled.

"Naru, Naru, just think what you're saying," she cooed. "Haven't we been together all day? If what you are saying is true – wouldn't you have noticed?"

"Maybe I wouldn't," I said through my tears. "I'm sorry, Mother…."

"Sorry?" she said. She was very close to me now. "What are you sorry for, my child?" Her hand slithered upwards through the air. I knew what this meant. In a few moments it would be at my throat and I would be helpless. I had to struggle against a feeling of hysterical panic that was rising in my stomach.

"I'm sorry for _this_," I said, and grabbed her wrist with my left hand, using my right to push her aside so I could slip past her. I wasn't rough; I don't have much physical strength, and I could hardly bear to hurt someone who looked like Mother, whether it was really her or not.

I raced out of the office and down the stairs. "Noriko-san!" I screamed, even though she couldn't possibly have returned yet. I was desperate. "Thetis, anyone! Help me!"

A man was standing in front of me on the stairs, blocking my way. One of the security staff. I almost fell into his arms, I was so relieved.

"What's wrong?" His voice was soft and soothing.

"I've been so frightened! Something's happened to Mother…."

It was only then that I looked up at his face and saw that it was Jadeite.

"What's the matter, my pretty?" he said as I flinched away from him. He smiled, and caught me by the wrist.

"Jadeite, stop that!" a cold voice cut across the air. The staircase was a wide spiral one, and the voice was coming from the landing above us. Thetis, I knew at once.

"What do you mean, stop?" he said. "I've only just started!"

"You don't realise who this is!" There was panic in her voice, and I felt a chill in my blood. If even Thetis was panicking….

"Don't tell him!" I screamed.

"Mistress!" Thetis exclaimed. "But…."

"No, you mustn't tell him!" I cried, as loudly and fiercely as I could manage.

"But…."

"_I order you_," I hissed.

Thetis stepped back, looking confused. Jadeite grinned and pushed me down against the banister. I closed my eyes and made no movement, breathing heavily as I waited for what was about to happen. There was still time to change my mind and tell Thetis to save me… but no. At all costs, I couldn't have Jadeite knowing that I was the true identity of Queen Beryl. He had to believe in her as a magical being of immense power; otherwise I would lose my hold over him. Besides, what if he gave the whole game away by revealing my secret to Usagi?

I felt a wave of nausea coming over me as my energy was drained by his touch. It felt so unnatural that my body desperately wanted to resist, in any way it could. But I could no longer fight back; I couldn't even stand up any more. I allowed myself to slump to the floor, knowing that it would not be long now before I lost consciousness. I just had to hope that things would still go according to plan, that Usagi would turn up and save the day….

And it was just as I was thinking this that a door slammed, and, from the foot of the stairs, there came a voice that I recognised at once as that of my friend.

"Hello?" she said. "Um… can I be of assistance?"


	11. Book I Ch 10 The Crying Game

**(o)**

**10  
>The Crying Game<strong>

Jadeite's grip on me loosened as he swung round. I don't mean that he was actually touching me, as I lay in a huddle on the stairs; but the bond between us that was draining my energy had faded, and I could just about keep one eye open.

Usagi – no, Sailor Moon! – stood framed in the doorway below. Her costume was like mine, except that her miniskirt and collar were blue and the ribbon across her front was large and red; she wore a golden tiara with a brilliant garnet glowing in the centre, and a red choker with a golden crescent moon emblem on the front, and long red boots.

Jadeite looked down at her in bemusement. "Who on earth are you?" he said.

"I am Sailor Moon!" said Usagi. "The beautiful sailor warrior of… of…."

"Love and justice," hissed another voice. I smiled; Luna had slipped in and was crouching beside her.

"Of love and justice!" Usagi declaimed. "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you for your evil deeds! Step away from that girl!"

I flattened myself against the floor with my face turned upwards, and lay very still. Once Usagi saw that it was me, it would not do at all for her to realise that I was still partly awake. I didn't need to watch, anyway. It was enough to know that she was there, that she had dropped everything and come to save me, just like a true friend. It was such a thrill, to see her standing there in the identity I had created for her, and to know that I was giving her the pleasure of helping her friend without that friend knowing it – or so she thought. I would never, _never_ take that away from her by letting it slip that I had known all along.

Jadeite laughed, and clicked his fingers. "Morgan!" he said. "Deal with this intruder!"

A door closed above and behind me, and I groaned. Of course. Morgan had been the one unknown factor; I should have guessed from the beginning that she was Jadeite's tool. But if it was she I had run from, if she had taken on the guise of my mother, then what had Jadeite done with her? "If you've hurt her…," I said under my breath, "I'll never forgive you." But no. Really, I knew it was myself I could never forgive. It would be my fault if he had harmed her, my fault for giving him too much freedom. But… surely he wouldn't dare take such drastic action of his own accord? Then I looked up at the cocky way he was smiling, and I knew that orders meant little to him, that he was someone who would find his own way of doing things, always doing just enough so that he had a ready answer when questioned, a way of twisting his decisions to make it sound like he was completely loyal.

Morgan leapt over the banister and landed on the floor below with a loud thump. I tilted my head to keep her in sight; Usagi wouldn't be looking towards me now. She had returned to what I guessed must be her true form: a hideous monster, humanoid in shape but with a gruesomely deformed face, mauve skin stretched tightly around a protruding skull with wide and empty eye sockets. She shot an arm out towards Usagi, and it was long and needle-thin, the hand replaced by a large claw with digits that flexed like the limbs of a predatory spider.

"Sailor Moon?" she said – and her real voice was thin and scratchy, like the cawing of a crow. "I never heard of such a person."

Usagi looked nervously from one of them to the other. I thought I understood. She wanted to help me, but Jadeite wasn't actually hurting me at that moment, and so there was no need for her to charge wildly at him. As for Morgan, she didn't yet know what to expect from her; perhaps that was why she was waiting for her to make the first move.

And she did. She rushed headlong towards Usagi, both arms flailing, her vicious claws scratching and scraping through the air. Usagi gulped and threw herself back against the wall to dodge the first blow, and then dived to the side as a claw checked its motion and came hurtling down towards her.

Jadeite just stood, leaning forward over the banister with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Usagi rolled over on the floor and scrambled to lift herself up, and Morgan swivelled round and loomed above her, readying her claws to strike downward. I could see deep scratch marks in the doorframe behind where Usagi had been standing.

Then there came a shriek of pain. Luna had leapt onto Morgan from behind and scratched her deeply. She writhed and twisted, throwing Luna off, and then picked her up and hurled her against the side wall. Usagi screamed.

But the respite had given her time to lift herself up and dodge behind one of the marble posts at the foot of the stairs. She clung to it as she fought to get her breath back, while Morgan flexed her claws and slowly stepped forward.

Jadeite still smiled as he motionlessly watched the scene, and somehow that made me feel a sort of bond between us. If I'd had the energy left, I might even have whispered "Thank you". It was magnificent; everything I'd imagined and more. Usagi was getting a real chance to be a hero. No matter what doubts were going through her mind right now, when she looked back on this afterwards she would smile secretly to herself as she remembered how she had saved me, and I would glance at her and pretend I didn't know what she was thinking about.

Morgan was getting closer. Usagi had really played this perfectly: she had let her enemy think she had the upper hand, and just when she was most confident, just when she drew her arm back to strike, Usagi would flick her tiara out like a frisbee, and the power I had imbued it with would make the monster fade and disintegrate. I could hear Morgan's screams of anguish as she realised that she was defeated; I could hear her final gasp of pain and a low, throbbing fizz as she dissolved away to nothing. I heard Jadeite cry out in shock and disappointment, and then Usagi's footfall as she turned to face him, her face etched with grim determination. She was going to make him pay for hurting me.

And then a sob echoed across the silence, and I realised that I had been hearing all this only in my imagination. Usagi had fallen as she slipped out of the way of Morgan's attack, and a claw had scraped her knee, drawing blood. She was clutching it to try to ease the pain as tears fell steadily down her cheeks. She looked up at Morgan, who was still advancing towards her, and she flattened herself back against the wall with a look of terror in her eyes, desperately trying to postpone the moment of facing the attack, any thought of fighting back abandoned.

I wanted to jump up and yell at her not to be such a baby. I might even have done it, ignoring the need for secrecy, but fortunately, I was just too drained. I couldn't believe it. Oh, I knew she wasn't exactly your typical fearless superhero; but I also knew, or thought I knew, that she had a tremendous amount of courage underneath her soft exterior if only she could work out how to unlock it. I couldn't believe she was just sitting back and letting Morgan walk all over her. Didn't even knowing that I was in danger make any difference?

Thetis, it seemed, had the same idea. She swooped down towards me and lifted me up, effortlessly, with one hand; a dagger gleamed in her other. Usagi screamed again.

Thetis smiled and seemed to stand frozen, and for one moment I glanced down and saw that Morgan was actually shrinking back. At first, I wasn't sure why; this wasn't anything I had planned. Then, as she screwed up her face and put her claws over her ears, I realised it was Usagi's screaming that was having that effect on her.

Usagi looked up in surprise, and then all at once, her face hardened and her crying stopped. She leapt to her feet and threw her tiara at the monster. From where I was, I couldn't see exactly what happened as it hit her, but I knew from Morgan's cry of pain that it was doing its work. She dropped to her knees, already too weak to do more than splutter as she melted away; and the tiara was in Usagi's hand again as she strode forward with a new resolve. Thetis dropped me, leapt up to the landing above, hauled herself over the railing, and was gone.

I was not much hurt by the fall; all I felt was an overwhelming sense of relief that Usagi had found the strength to fight against the monster after all. She came rushing towards me, heedless of everything except the need to know that I was all right –

Jadeite glowered at her, and poised Thetis's dagger in his hand, ready to spring on Usagi as she passed in front of him –

There was a blast of cold air from a window that should not have been open. A heavy thud came from somewhere high up, out of sight. And then a long black cane struck Jadeite across the throat, and he fell backwards. Mamoru had arrived! To give him the air of intrigue and mystery I wanted, I had modelled his costume on the jewel thief I had seen on television on Monday. He had the same black suit and top hat, and a black cape with red lining fluttered behind him. His face was in shadow, and a mask covered his eyes; even someone who knew him would not have recognised him then.

Usagi, perhaps seeing the look of terror that was written on my face, looked behind her. Jadeite still clutched the dagger, and Mamoru was pushing him backwards, and she must have suddenly realised that he had just saved her life. She gasped in surprise, and then blurted out, "Who are you?"

"I am Tuxedo Mask," said Mamoru. "You must never let your guard down, Sailor Moon."

"All right!" she said eagerly, gazing up at him with a beaming smile and lights sparkling in her eyes.

Mamoru smiled back at her. "I will remember this night," he said. And he withdrew his cane, turned around and swept away.

Jadeite, seeing that he had lost the element of surprise, gave Usagi an ugly glare, and then clicked his fingers. "I'll be back," he said, and vanished.

And then it was just the two of us, one final awkward moment that had to be got through. Usagi turned towards me to see that I was all right, and I saw the shadow of a pain in her eyes. I thought I understood. She wanted to rush towards me and hug me, and could not; for while she was in her magical identity, she had to pretend to be a stranger. And I, too, almost wished I could have said something. The pleasure of helping someone without them knowing it is a strange, almost masochistic pleasure; it is a constant self-denial. I looked at her; and I had to learn to look at her as a stranger, or as a mere character. The writer's emotions should not play any part in the story; they would just get in the way.

The moment passed. I opened my eyes and staggered clumsily to my feet; and Usagi, seeing that I was unhurt, winked at me and saluted with her fingers above and below one eye, and then raced away, pausing only to pick up Luna, who by that time had also got back on her feet and was trying to recover a little of her dignity.

Finally alone, I called for Thetis, and asked her if she knew where Mother was. She said that Jadeite had drained her energy and left her in the basement. I hurried down, and used the Pen to restore her; she was a little hazy when she recovered, and I said that she must have tripped on the stairs and knocked herself out. In spite of my protestations, she insisted on going back and reopening the store for the afternoon part of the sale; and for the rest of the day we were all so busy, especially since we longer had Morgan to help us, that the adventure of Sailor Moon was driven quite out of my mind.

* * *

><p>"I have failed you, my Queen," said Jadeite.<p>

It was the weekend at last. After a tiring day of putting away the unsold stock from the sale and getting the store ready for normal business again, I had taken a cold drink up to my room and taken the opportunity to check up on my minion. I stared down at him from Queen Beryl's immense height, trying to show no emotion.

"I expect better than this."

"Pardon me, Your Majesty! I will not fail you again." He bowed low. He was outwardly calm, but I caught the hint of a fire blazing behind his eyes.

"You'd better make sure of it," I said coldly.

"Just give me another chance, tell me how I can serve you…."

"For now, just remain in concealment and keep an eye on the human world," I said. "We must not make a second attempt so soon, in case the humans realise something is going on."

"I understand," Jadeite said slowly. "But… you will give me a chance to show that you were not wrong to put your trust in me?"

"I will let you know as soon as I have a task for you."

"Very well," said Jadeite. He stood up and looked straight at me for a moment, and I sensed something in his expression – but what? Resentment? Or just determination to prove himself? Either way, I knew at once that I would have to make sure Thetis kept a careful eye on him. I glanced towards her, and saw that she was feeling the same thing.

After Jadeite had gone, I sank into my seat and sighed. "You know, I'm beginning to realise this isn't all going to be quite so easy," I said.

"I wondered when you would begin to feel that," said Thetis.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped. "You're not going to start being negative again, are you? Everything went beautifully!"

"Except that now Jadeite feels he has something to prove, and he's loose in the city with his energy-draining powers."

"I've told him not to use those yet…."

Thetis merely blinked. "And how confident are you that he will obey?"

I sighed. "Just tell me what you're trying to suggest."

"I will keep an eye on him, for now. But I must warn you, I will not be answerable if this scheme of yours goes wrong…."

"Yes, thank you, you've made that quite clear," I said. It wasn't fair of me to get so angry with her, but I did feel upset. That should have been a moment of triumph, and it felt like she was trying to take it away from me.

"Oh, just go," I said. "I'll summon you again if I need you."

"Very well, Mistress," she said with a bow; and she stepped through the mirror and I was alone again.


	12. Book I Ch 11 Another Day, Another Dream

**(o)**

**11  
>Another Day, Another Dream<strong>

I arrived at school on Monday to find that I had become something of a celebrity. It seemed that the crowd outside the jewellery store, waiting for us to reopen after our lunch break, had seen Sailor Moon leaving, and even though she had said nothing, word quickly went round of how she had foiled a desperate attempt at robbery. Guren Junko and Seto Chieko, two girls I knew quite well but had never been especially close to, had actually been there at the time, and I arrived to overhear them busily telling the entire class that all the rumours were indeed true. A hush fell over the room as everyone looked round, and I had to force my way through a huddle of eager questioners to reach my seat. I told everyone that I had been hit by the intruder and lost consciousness and didn't know anything more than that, and after several iterations they were eventually satisfied that I had nothing more to tell them. They seemed to be more disappointed than anything else that I had been knocked out, and none of them expressed any sympathy or concern over my injury.

Except one. It being Monday, I had to leave the classroom with Ami to go to our special English lesson, and I was astonished when she came up to me, gave a nervous cough, and asked whether I had been badly hurt and whether I was all right now.

"I'm fine," I managed to stammer out.

"Are you sure? I… I could look at it if you wanted me to. My mother's a doctor."

"No, it's okay, honestly."

"All right then." She turned away, as though suddenly remembering that we were not friends and she had perhaps gone a little too far, and walked off towards the connecting door. I stood staring after her for a while. Maybe I had misjudged her. Maybe there was a caring heart hidden somewhere inside her, and I had messed up a chance to make a good friend. I shook my head; there was no point dwelling on what might have been. I had to admit to myself that it _had_ been unreasonable of me to take my anger out on her. But it was done now; I could not take it back. But I decided that I would find a way to repay her for her kindness, if I could.

The lesson went quietly; it was mostly the teacher lecturing us, going over the poem in more detail and explaining its structure with a great deal of technical vocabulary. Ami did not speak out all lesson, even though I could tell from her expression that she already knew most of what was being said. I didn't have too much time to think about her, though; I was too busy taking notes, as it was all new stuff to me.

As we were leaving the classroom, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and swung round to see Andou standing behind me.

"Osaka-san," he said. His tone was formal and emotionless. "I'm sorry that my friends hurt you last week. I will make sure it doesn't happen again."

Ami bowed in acknowledgement of the apology, and then quickly walked away. I just remained glaring at him. It was all very well, and I did appreciate the effort to make up for what had happened, but it was Ami he should have apologised to! He had started the whole thing when he attacked her. And she was much too gentle to demand an apology on her own behalf. He went back into the room and slammed the door behind him, and right then I determined that I would teach him a lesson and make sure he gave Ami a proper apology.

Thus resolved, I went back to class for my own next lesson. For the rest of the morning, I had to deal with nudges and whispers from people still trying to get more out of me about the incident at the store. I just kept on insisting I didn't know anything, and then turned back to Usagi and smiled, and she gave me a supportive smile in return. But from the way she kept smiling even when she thought I wasn't looking, I knew that she had something else keeping her happy as well, and I was pretty sure I knew what that was.

At break, we went out together to enjoy the glorious sunshine, and found a vacant bench where we could sit together and admire the spring flowers that were now in full bloom. They made a lovely array of colour, with the long, sloping lawn of the school field as a backdrop, and the sounds of fun going on all around us. In short, it was a beautiful day.

"Feels nice to have a bit of peace for a change," I said.

"They've not been upsetting you, have they?" Usagi said anxiously.

"Nah," I laughed. "All the same, it gets wearying. You'd think once I'd told them I saw nothing, they could just accept that."

Usagi shot me a glance. "Are you sure?" she said.

"What do you mean?"

She gave me a playful nudge. "Come on, I know when you're hiding something."

I laughed again. "All right," I said. "If you must know, I was starting to wake up before the end, and I just caught a glimpse of Sailor Moon before she left. But I'm not telling anyone that! They'd be all over me wanting to know every detail."

"Wow," Usagi sighed. "So you actually saw Sailor Moon…."

I turned my head and studied her with interest. She was a better actor than I would have given her credit for.

"It was nothing special," I said. "I only saw her for a moment, with her back to me. I didn't get the chance to ask her for her autograph, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, it's not that," Usagi said with unusual thoughtfulness.

"What, then?"

"Well, I wondered if you were close enough to find out who she is."

I blinked. "Who she is?"

"All superheroes have a civilian identity, don't they? She can't just appear out of nowhere when she's needed. She must be someone else in between times."

She smiled. I was a little taken aback at this turn in the conversation; but Usagi's tone was so frank and straightforward that I felt I may as well just play along. "I suppose so," I said cautiously. "I never really thought of it like that before, to be honest."

"You surprise me," said Usagi. "You're the one with the vivid imagination, Naru-chan. Haven't you ever thought about what it must be like to be someone like that?"

I gazed at her for a long while. "Why are you asking this?" I couldn't help saying.

"No reason. I'm just curious to know what you make of it all."

"I don't know," I said slowly. I leant back and turned to gaze out over the lawn as though I had no reason to be interested in the question beyond natural curiosity. "Harder than most people would expect, I guess. It can't be easy, to have a secret like that and know that you can never share it."

"But sweet, in a way, I think."

"Oh yes," I said. "Sweet… the sort of sweet that gets into your stomach and sits there, melting you away from the inside, until you're desperate to spit it out." I came to a halt, aware that Usagi was staring at me. "Well, that's how I'd describe it if I were writing a novel," I said.

"You're so wise, Naru-chan," said Usagi. "And yet… you make it sound so sad."

"Well, that's what I think," I said. "When you bring happiness to someone else, you have to accept some sadness to balance it out. Even if it's the sweetest feeling in the world to know that you would give everything for someone's happiness – you still have to lose it for yourself."

I felt a surge of warmth spread through me as Usagi placed her fingers across my hand and slowly tightened her grip. "You're such a pessimist, you know," she said gently. "Maybe you think too deeply about things sometimes."

"I'm a writer," I said. "That's what I have to do."

"But why?"

"Well… because there's no point in writing to tell people the truths they already know," I said. "The glamour of the superhero, the happiness of helping a friend, the warmth of passionate love – they're all obvious. What I want is to reveal a deeper layer of truth that most people never even think about."

"That's what I think too," Umino piped up. "There's more out there than people realise. There might be lifeforms all across the galaxy with powers we can't even dream of."

I swung round. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Oh, I just came and sat here," he said vaguely. "You were in the middle of talking, and I didn't like to interrupt."

"Well, next time…." I sighed. There was no point trying to teach Umino these things; he just doesn't get them.

"Naru-chan, can I talk to you?" he said, without any change in tone.

I looked at Usagi, but she just smiled to say this was okay.

"I guess so," I said coldly. We went together round the corner of the building, and Umino stood motionless, staring downwards, hands clasped together, waiting for me to speak.

"Well, what is it?" I said.

"I… I want your advice," he mumbled.

"What about?"

"I want to go on a date with Usagi."

"_What?_"

"I love her, Naru-chan," he said, still keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.

"But…." I couldn't help laughing, but after a moment I forced myself to stop. Umino was a buffoon and a nuisance, but I didn't want to upset him. "Umino-kun, how could you want to go out with her? You and she have nothing in common."

"I just feel we're meant to be together," he said, taking something from his coat pocket. I looked at it curiously; it looked like a very simplistic sort of computer, just a screen with a couple of buttons below it. It looked more like a children's toy than anything else.

"What's that?" I asked in some curiosity.

"This is a simulation I made," he said, tapping on the buttons. Sure enough, a cartoonish image came up on the screen. I could only tell that it was meant to represent Umino and Usagi from his glasses and her long pigtails. Umino pressed a few buttons, and the image started to change; most of it was hard to follow, but when it showed Umino in a smart suit holding hands with Usagi in a white wedding dress, there was no doubt about what _that_ meant.

"You see," he said, "this shows that Usagi and I are destined to get married!"

This time I really couldn't help bursting into laughter. "Umino, you can't," I said. "How does that thing tell you anything? You don't really know her, and besides, you're much too young to be thinking about marriage."

He looked dolefully up at me. "Are you telling me I can't think about the future?"

"I'm saying you have to take things more slowly. Go out with someone and get to know them first, and _then_ decide whether you like them enough to take it further."

"But…."

For a moment I even pitied him; he looked so lost and vulnerable.

"Well?" I said patiently.

"How do I ask her to go out with me, Naru-chan?"

I stopped and considered. On the one hand, Umino was – sort of – a friend, and I wanted to help him. On the other hand, I couldn't believe he had the nerve to want to go out with Usagi – and it would never fit in with my plans. But I thought I saw a way out of the dilemma.

"Just ask her if she'd like to go to a movie or something with you," I said.

"A movie," said Umino, his eyes lighting up. "That's a great idea. _Attack of the Flower Zombies from Planet Nemesis_ just came out; we could go to that. Thank you, Naru-chan!"

I smiled, and turned away. The bell had gone for the end of break, and I knew Usagi would not have waited for us. She was late too often to risk getting into further trouble. So Umino would not get a chance to talk to her before the next day. And by then –

Once I got home, I locked myself in my room, summoned Thetis, and asked her to fetch Jadeite, and then transformed myself into Queen Beryl so I was ready for him when he arrived.

"Well, Jadeite?" I said. "What have you been learning about the human world?"

"They are very strange creatures, Your Majesty," he said. "They bustle about so quickly, using up so much delicious energy, and yet they never seem to get anywhere."

"Excellent," I said with a cruel little sneer. What can I say? It's fun to get into the character of a villain, and I didn't feel it was wrong of me to enjoy it, since I knew I wouldn't let anyone come to any real harm. "Jadeite, I have found another target for you."

He grinned. "I am ready to serve."

"I have been looking at a school near here; Thetis will show you where it is."

"A school?"

I smirked. "Young people seem to have far more energy than they know what to do with – ripe and ready for draining," I said. "We can channel this energy for our own needs. Take over a few of the students – Thetis will show you which ones – and use them to lead the others, so that we can get them all together and take their energy as a group. Do you understand?"

He bowed. "Absolutely, Your Majesty. I shall not fail you this time."

"I'm delighted to hear it," I said. "Make sure you don't."

Once Jadeite had gone, I looked round at Thetis and said, "You will keep an eye on him for me, won't you?"

"Always," Thetis said quietly.

Something in her tone made me falter. She was standing still, staring at an empty point in the distance, in the direction Jadeite had gone.

"Thetis?" I said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing," she said. "You need not worry. I will look after Jadeite, no matter what."

And yet there was something about the way she said it that made me feel that was precisely what I ought to be worried about….


	13. Book I Ch 12 Nasty Guys Finish Last

**(o)**

**Sailor Dora** – Book One****

**12  
>Nasty Guys Finish Last<br>**

Umino was late for school the next day. This was such an unusual occurrence that we were all whispering to each other and pointing at his empty place when he strutted through the door five minutes later. Everyone looked up and stared at him in stunned silence.

He was dressed in a blue suit, quite against our school's uniform policy, and carried a black briefcase; his hair was ruffled up. If he was trying to look like an adult, it wasn't working. All around the room, people were pointing and staring and giggling. Usagi just gaped in shock.

Umino strode to his desk, pulled the chair out with a loud bang, sat down, and then took a sandwich out of his bag and started eating it, right there in class.

"Umino-kun!" I hissed. "What are you doing? Haruna-sensei will be here any minute!"

"I don't care," he said cockily, which was most unlike him. He smiled, and ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it up still further. "Say, Usagi-chan, you wanna go on a date tonight?"

Usagi was _shaking_. "Wh… what's happened to you, Umino-kun?" she said. "You're not normally like this… and I don't think I like it!"

"Ah well, I'll ask you again later," he said with a casual sweep of his hand, and returned his attentions to his sandwich. Usagi was nearly in tears. I reached across to comfort her; even though I didn't like to cause her pain, I was enjoying the feeling of knowing what was to come, and I knew it would be more than worth a few tears when it did.

The door slammed, and we all looked round again. Haruna-sensei strode forward, glowering. She was a sweet-natured person and we all liked her, but we knew that she could be _very_ fierce when her temper was roused.

"Umino-kun!" she roared. "What are you doing, eating in my class? Take that outside at once!"

She lunged forward to snatch the half-eaten sandwich from his hand, but at that moment, Kimura Yuuji in the second row stuck out a leg, and she crashed down onto the floor.

"You need to chill out, _sensei_," he said coldly. A few of his friends laughed with him, even though I knew Umino and Kimura were the only ones Jadeite was controlling. That was my plan: once the rebellion had started, the more mischievous students would take things into their own hands, and that would draw attention away from Umino. That was why I had chosen Kimura. He owed me one, ever since that cookery lesson when he ruined the cookies I'd been making to give to Mother. He had never been punished for that, and if the punishment I was giving him now was a little harsh, I just thought of it as the repayment of a loan with interest.

The plan worked beautifully. As soon as Haruna-sensei sent both Umino and Kimura from the room, Hasegawa Tooru slipped up to her desk while her back was turned and knocked over a glass of water. Haruna-sensei, her temper frayed to breaking-point, actually grabbed him by the collar and threw him out. I quickly got up and started mopping up the water, leaving Haruna-sensei to deal with the troublemakers as one of them after another did something ridiculous just so he could be sent out to join his friends.

Five minutes later, half the boys in our class were gone, and Haruna-sensei slammed a fist on her desk. "That's enough!" she yelled. "Another squeak out of any of you, and I'll send you straight home with a letter to your parents!"

Complete silence.

_Complete_ silence. Even Haruna-sensei realised at once that something was wrong. She flung the door open again, and looked both ways down the corridor. There was no-one there.

"Well, they've gone," she said as she closed the door. "Get your books out and sit quietly, everyone. We're not going to discuss this."

We managed to settle down to work, but everything that had happened was so out of the ordinary that I think the whole class felt restless. As for Usagi, she was quite clearly worried about Umino, and couldn't concentrate on her work at all. The second lesson was chemistry, and I almost had to do the work for both of us to make sure she didn't break anything. After ten minutes I had had enough of this, and told the teacher that Usagi was feeling dizzy, so that I got permission to take her to the nurse. We didn't go to the nurse, though; instead, we went straight outside to look for Umino.

It did not take us long to find his trail. Just where we had been sitting the day before, the flowerbed had been heavily trampled, the lovely pink azaleas torn and shredded across the grass, and the remains of an informal picnic strewn over the dishevelled soil. Usagi gasped and threw herself to her knees, weeping over the flowers that had been so beautiful. (I took the opportunity, while she wasn't looking, to write a couple of lines with the Pen that would make sure that, as soon as we were both out of sight, the flowerbed would be restored to normal.)

The sound of cries and screams drew us to the courtyard, and we rushed up the stairs and stopped as we peered round the side of the building. I drew my breath. There was a much larger crowd there than I had expected; either Jadeite had been very busy, or else his victims had rounded up their friends from the other classes. They were gathered in a circle, chanting and waving fists in the air.

Above them, a window was flung open and a teacher looked out. "What do you think you're doing?" he cried. In response, the crowd jeered, and then started throwing stones. One whistled past the teacher's head, and he hastily shut the window. The students, as if this was some kind of victory, cheered and started throwing stones still harder. The window shattered.

"What can we do?" Usagi hissed.

"Wait here!" I said. "I'll go and get help."

"Hurry, Naru-chan!"

I nodded and raced away. I was feeling overwhelmed with joy; everything was going perfectly, and it was time for the part I was looking forward to the most. I did not hesitate; I ran back inside and made straight for the door connecting with the high school. This time it was open, as I had taken care to arrange beforehand with the Pen. I ran through it, and took the now familiar route to the classroom where we had our English lessons.

The class all looked round at me as I entered, small and yet, this time, confident. I said that I had an urgent message for Andou-san, and, bewildered, he rose and followed me out.

"Well? What is it?"

He closed the door and stood, leaning back against the wall. I leant against the wall opposite and smiled up at him.

"Did you mean that apology you made to me earlier?" I said.

"You brought me out of class to ask that?" he said scornfully. "Yes, I did, but don't you dare tell anyone I said so."

"Will you help me?" I said at once. "I need your help now."

He looked unimpressed. "Why should I do that?"

"Because if you really meant your apology, you'd want to make up for what you did."

"Yeah – and so?"

"You won't get a better chance than this," I insisted.

He chuckled. "What _is_ the matter with you?"

"Something's happened to one of my friends. He's gone crazy… I think he might hurt someone. You've got to help me stop him! I can't do anything alone, but with your strength…."

"I see," he said. He paused for a while, and then nodded. "All right. But if there's going to be a fight, we should get a few extra hands, don't you think?"

"Sounds like a good idea," I said. He looked at me curiously, and then grinned; I felt he had not expected me to go along with his suggestion so readily. I was less surprised; after all, I was offering him the chance to miss a class with a ready-made excuse.

He knocked on the door of an adjacent room, and less than a minute later Sumihara and Komatsuzawa had joined us. They expressed no surprise on seeing me; I could tell from the glazed look in their eyes that Jadeite had been at work on them. I led all three of them back to the courtyard.

The crowd were still pelting pebbles at the windows; several of them had gathered around Umino and were egging him on to join in. Outa Kenichi had found a good-sized rock and presented it to him. Umino looked at it uneasily, and I didn't blame him; normally, before Jadeite had possessed him, if he'd tried to throw it I would have been worried for his toes, and I don't mean because the rock was a particularly large one.

"That's the one," I said, pointing to Umino. "Stop him, but please don't hurt him!"

"Right!" Andou said, and he started to move forward, with the others flanking him.

I looked around; there was no sign of Usagi. Good. She must have taken advantage of my absence to transform into Sailor Moon, just as I had hoped. I slipped round the corner of the building and transformed as well.

"Thetis," I whispered after I had summoned her, "go and fetch Luna."

Thetis disappeared, and I took the opportunity to peer back into the courtyard and see what was going on. Andou had taken hold of Umino and was trying to extricate him, while Sumihara and Komatsuzawa stood solidly on either side, discouraging the younger students from interfering, but at the same time making it clear they did not want to get involved. Andou was shouting at them, and they were shouting at him, and the younger students were shouting at everyone. Unwilling to get into a fight with the high-schoolers, they pushed each other towards them, while stones were thrown from the anonymity of the back of the crowd.

Things might have turned very nasty indeed, but it was just then that I caught sight of Sailor Moon. She was standing _on the roof_ of one of the smaller buildings, her hair streaming behind her in the wind. Then someone noticed her, and pointed up with a cry, and the others started to look round and point, and soon they were all staring at her.

"I am the warrior of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" she cried. "Young men who think nothing of people's feelings are the worst of all. In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

I grinned. There was no sign of nervousness about her now. Though perhaps that was just because she was on familiar territory this time, or because she was standing above them and they couldn't hurt her. Still, they looked aggressively up at her and got rocks ready in their hands, and her expression faltered a little.

She jumped down into the courtyard, and flung her tiara at Andou. He stumbled back, letting go of Umino. But the crowd had started throwing stones, and Usagi fell back, crying in pain. One had scratched her cheek and drawn blood.

Sumihara, who was nearest to her, came rushing towards her, when something struck him in the face. As he flinched away, I just had time to see what it was: a rose, of all things. He turned towards the direction the missile had come from, and saw Tuxedo Mask nonchalantly sitting on the railing of a balcony. Usagi's eyes lit up at once.

"You mustn't give in so easily, Sailor Moon," he said. "Keep on fighting, no matter how hard it is."

"Right!" she said, lifting herself up. She threw the tiara again, this time at Komatsuzawa. Andou jumped in front of him and caught it; but as his fingers closed around it, its momentum dragged him off his feet and he spun round until he was just a blur. Then he fell right on top of Sumihara, and both crashed heavily to the ground, while the tiara flew back into Usagi's hand.

I had been too engrossed in watching the scene to notice Luna, but a squeak close by my feet told me that she had arrived. I bent down and whispered to her, "You must tell Sailor Moon that she has another attack she can use. If she chants the words 'Moon Tiara Stardust' and throws her tiara over the heads of the crowd, they will break free from Jadeite's control."

Luna hurried off, and I transformed back so that I would be ready for Usagi. I was not waiting for very long. She threw her tiara, and something that looked like sparkling dust came down from it, enveloping the crowd in a haze. Nothing happened for a second, and then they all slumped slowly to the ground. Usagi held her breath as she watched, waiting in case any of them should resist her magic and make a sudden attack. But nothing happened, and the air was calm and silent –

– a silence that was abruptly shattered as a loud burst of cheering broke out, and Usagi looked up to see faces looking down at her from the windows all around the courtyard, delighted faces, and fists raised in exultation as they roared out the name of their new hero. She looked up and waved to them, holding her tiara aloft like a trophy, and then cheekily blew her audience a kiss before she vanished down the crack between two buildings.

In the courtyard, the students were beginning to awaken, and I rushed forward and grabbed Umino, getting ready to haul him out in case things got nasty again. He looked up at me through blurred and bewildered eyes.

"What happened to me, Naru-chan?" he said.

"I don't know," I said. "I think you must have been under a spell. But Sailor Moon came and saved you."

His mouth fell open. "Sailor Moon? You really saw her?"

"Yes, and so did everyone else. She's real, Umino-kun!"

I helped him to his feet, and leant him a shoulder for support as he staggered groggily on. "Where's Usagi-chan got to?" I said. "She should be somewhere around. We'll get you back to class between us."

"Usagi-chan…," he groaned. "I…."

"What is it?"

"I… I'm starting to remember," he mumbled. "Naru-chan, I'm not ready to meet her… did I really do those things?"

But it was too late; Usagi was rushing towards us.

"There you are!" she called out. "Umino-kun, are you okay?"

"Usagi-chan," he said with a shudder. "About what I did earlier…."

"Don't worry about it!" she laughed.

Umino looked up at her and hesitated for a moment; then he grinned. "You're right!" he said. "I shouldn't worry about it. After all, you don't worry when you get bad test results. I should try to be more like you."

"Ouch, what was that for?" he said as he recoiled from her slap.

"You… you are such a weirdo!"

She scowled, but I knew that she wasn't really angry. And then we all laughed together, and, each taking Umino by one arm, we helped him get back to class.


	14. Book I Ch 13 If Music Be the Food

**(o)**

**13  
>If Music Be the Food of Love<strong>

Things were quiet for the rest of the week. Umino and the others came back to class with only hazy memories of what had happened, and, unlikely as it may have seemed at first, the theory of some sort of mind-controlling monster quickly became accepted. It was the easiest way to brush the incident under the rug and forget about it; and so there were no punishments. The troublemakers kept themselves out of sight; when your reputation depends on your physical prowess, getting beaten by a girl is hard to recover from, even if she does have a magical tiara. Andou even sought Ami out to make his long overdue apology. Umino came in for a little teasing about the way he had dressed, but he was used to being teased for his odd behaviour, so it didn't really bother him. As for Jadeite, he was keeping a low profile after his second failure.

In short, the operation had been a success. I was on a high throughout the next few days, especially when I thought of how well Usagi was growing into her new role. After her dramatic appearance, it seemed that Sailor Moon was all anyone wanted to talk about – who she might be, where she had come from, what her powers meant. We listened, and I couldn't help noticing a secret little smile on Usagi's face. For the rest of the week, I barely managed to concentrate on lessons; I was constantly turning over plans for new adventures.

That weekend, I got Jadeite to attack a gym that Usagi belonged to. It was best to start with places that were part of her normal routine, so that I didn't have to think about how to get her there. She healed Jadeite's victims much more easily this time, and fled the scene before anyone could ask any awkward questions.

The weekend after that, I made Usagi's brother Shingo my next victim – I wouldn't have dared to do this earlier, but by now I had confidence in Usagi. It wasn't that I bore Shingo any ill will, but I'd heard that he was uncomfortable with Luna living in their house. And, just as I had expected, once Sailor Moon had rescued him and told him to accept Luna, there was no more difficulty; indeed, from what I heard, they were getting on extremely well.

After that it was Golden Week, and I figured that even evil organisations should get a holiday. Besides, we had something else to look forward to. The previous Christmas, a singer named Aino Minako had released her debut album, and Usagi and I had both become fans at once. We listened to it every chance we got until we knew the songs by heart, and "Moonlight Legend" had become the defining song of our friendship. It was almost as though the lyrics had been written especially for me, by someone who knew me to the depths of my heart. I'm sorry that I'm not straightforward. It's only in my dreams that I can say what you mean to me.

But the really amazing thing about Aino Minako was that she was thirteen, the same age as us. The media couldn't get enough of her, and her face was everywhere. We also knew that she lived in Minato-ku, so she couldn't be far away from us, and we fantasised endlessly about the possibility of accidentally running into her, and all the things we might say to each other.

And that Sunday, the third of May, she was releasing her second album, "C'est la vie". We were both fantastically excited, and had promised each other we would wake up as early as we could so as to get to Ron's Records before they sold out.

It didn't work out that way. I was so excited that I was out of bed a good hour before my alarm went, and since there was no point at all in going round to Usagi's before the appointed time, I tried to settle down with a book. It was no good; I was just too restless. I didn't want to risk waking Mother, so I crept downstairs and watched television with the volume turned right down.

At eight o'clock I was out of the house, running merrily down the streets to Usagi's house through the faint early sunlight. I knocked, and it was about five minutes before I was let in by Usagi's mother, Ikuko. She was so woozy that she could hardly hold her head up straight.

"Naru-chan?" she said. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Usagi and I were going to go shopping," I said. "Is she awake?"

"No, and she probably won't be for another two or three hours."

"Two or three hours!"

Ikuko looked nonplussed. "What did you expect, on a Sunday?"

Patiently, I explained about the new album, and that we had both agreed to set our alarms so that we could go to buy it together.

"Oh, so _that's_ what that noise was!" said Ikuko. "I heard a noise coming from Usagi's room, but I couldn't place it. Anyway, if it was an alarm, I'm afraid she's still fast asleep."

I tapped my foot impatiently. "Can't you wake her?"

"You know what she's like when she's just been woken. But you can come in and try if you like. I'll hide out in the shed until you're done."

I glared at her; I could have done without her heavy-handed attempts at humour, especially as time was pressing. I rushed into Usagi's room and shook her. She opened her eyes, looked up at me and mumbled something, and then fell asleep again.

"Come on, Usagi!" I said, shaking her awake once more.

"Huh? Wh… what's going on?"

"The new Aino Minako album. Remember?"

"Sure, that'ch groovy. Uh… oh, _that!_" Usagi jumped up, her arm colliding painfully with my forehead. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"I've been trying for the last ten minutes!" I said through gritted teeth.

"We're gonna be _laaaaaate!_" Usagi screamed, rushing out the door with the folds of her pyjamas flapping out behind her. Fortunately, her mother had _not_ gone to hide in the shed, and was able to intercept her and remind her that she needed to be decently dressed before setting out. It was getting on for nine by the time we finally managed to leave the house.

The shop was nearly empty when we got there; the early-morning queue of fans eager to be the first to get their hands on the album had already dissipated. We rushed straight up to the counter and breathlessly asked if they had any copies left.

"I'm so sorry," the man said. "We just sold our very last one – to that girl who's just going out the door now."

We looked round, and the girl, hearing herself mentioned, also turned. My mouth fell open in surprise, and for a second we just stood staring at each other. It was Ami.

We joined up with her outside. "Mizuno-san!" Usagi squeaked. "I had no idea you were an Aino Minako fan!"

Ami blushed. "I… I find her voice helps me concentrate when I'm memorising," she said.

"Memorising?" Usagi said under her breath. "It's like we live in different worlds…."

Ami hesitated, and then reached into her bag and held out the album. "Here," she said. "You can borrow it if you like."

"What?" Usagi cried. "I couldn't take it off you, when you haven't even heard it yet." Her eyes lit up. "I tell you what, why don't we go round your place and listen to it together?"

It was Ami's turn to be taken aback. She stopped, frozen, the hand holding the album still outstretched, and I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. I nudged Usagi, but she took no notice. I grimaced, but I just didn't know what to say. I knew Usagi liked to be friendly, but she really didn't know where to set boundaries sometimes, and this was one of those times. As far as I knew she'd never so much as spoken to Ami before, and here she was inviting herself to her house! I could see that this put Ami in a very awkward position, as it was hard for her to accept and equally hard to refuse, but Usagi was oblivious to everything except the opportunity to make a new friend.

"I don't think I can have guests round," Ami faltered. "My mother's away from home…."

"It's all right, we won't make any mess," said Usagi. "I promise."

There was a long silence.

"All right," Ami said at last. "But you won't be able to stay for very long. After we've listened to the album, I'll have to start making lunch."

"What, you cook your own lunch?" said Usagi. (She was always impressed to hear of anyone our age managing to cook _anything_; she was so bad at cooking that she regarded it as something only a genius could do.) "What about your parents?"

"_Usagi-chan!_" I hissed, trying to find a way of telling her that she was getting intrusive. The last thing I wanted was for Ami to feel offended and decide she didn't want to talk to me again, when I still had to go to English classes with her every week.

But Usagi remained oblivious, and Ami was silent for a long time as she led us down an unfamiliar street. At last she said, "My mother will be in the hospital all day."

"In hospital? I'm sorry…."

"No, I mean she's a doctor."

"Oh." Usagi bounced back from this immediately. "And your father?"

This time I had to step in and haul her back. "You shouldn't ask such things," I whispered. "Mizuno-san will tell us when she's ready for us to know."

Ami must have understood why I pulled Usagi back, but she politely ignored it, and soon we arrived at her apartment block. She led us inside and up to her door, and opened it with a latch-key. The room inside was cold and dark, and filled with the robotic humming of the air-conditioning. We stood politely in silence while Ami walked over and flipped the light-switch.

"Wow!" Usagi gasped. I wasn't quite as taken aback as she was, but I could see why she was impressed. The room was large and spacious; the opposite wall was some ten metres away, and in between was a polished wooden table, its surface bare except for a vase holding some flowers; two chairs sat to either side. On the left wall was a wide window, with a desk to one side; neat rows of books ran across the back of the desk and a shelf above it, and a computer sat waiting in silence for its owner. There was a large houseplant in the corner next to the desk, and in the opposite corner was a round table, on which rested a water tank. It somehow made the whole room seem more calm and peaceful – perhaps because the fish in it moved so slowly that it felt as if time itself was going slower when you watched them. The floor was layered with a sea-blue carpet; and the walls and carpet and furniture were all immaculately clean. It felt like stepping into the lobby of a posh hotel – except that there were no other guests; it was as though everything had been cleaned and tidied especially for us.

"What a lovely room!" said Usagi.

Ami blushed. "I'm glad you like it," she said. "Would you like to sit down? I can make you both a drink."

We sat down, and Ami headed to the far end of the room, which was where the kitchen unit was. It was not a separate room, but a large alcove, so I had to keep my voice down so that she would not overhear.

"Usagi-chan, you shouldn't ask about her family," I said. "That's her business, and you shouldn't intrude in it."

"I'm not intruding, just trying to be friendly," said Usagi. She, too, glanced towards Ami to make sure that she was not listening, then leant in close to me and whispered, "I think she could do with some friends."

I blinked. "She's friends with Junko and Chieko, isn't she?"

"Not really. They just hang around her because they want her to help them study. They're not the sort of friends she'd invite round to spend time just being with."

I stared at her. "How do you know all this?"

"I just observe these things," she said with a smile.

I sat back, and remained in thoughtful silence until Ami returned with the drinks. I was already beginning to see her in a new light. What I had at first taken as coldness in her attitude towards me was really just – well, how shall I put it? – a protective shell she hid herself behind because there were difficulties in her life she did not want us to know about. She did not want to be pitied. And that was all right; what I felt towards her now was not pity, but a sort of compassion, or at least the desire to help her if I could. Already, I think, the beginnings of my next plan were forming in my mind.

"This is such lovely tea!" said Usagi. "How do you do it?"

"Oh, it's nothing special…."

"Nothing special!" Usagi cried. "You know, I bet if I told the girls at school about this, they'd all be begging you to let them come round." She glanced up, and saw tears forming in Ami's eyes. "Did I say something wrong?"

I hastily changed the subject. "Mizuno-san, why don't you sit down?"

"We don't have another chair," said Ami. "But it's all right; I can stand."

"No, I insist," I said, rising from my seat. "You made the tea; it's only right that you sit down. I don't mind standing."

Ami looked at me tentatively. "Osaka-san…."

I took a deep breath, and decided to take the plunge. "You can call me Naru."

"And call me Usagi," my friend said at once.

Ami sat down, and there were a few moments of awkward silence until she said, "Well, shall we listen to the album, then?"

"Yes!" Usagi said, her face lighting up at once. She was so enthusiastic that Ami couldn't help smiling, and then – well, it was as though a veil between us had been torn aside and we saw each other face to face for the first time. And when Ami got up and crossed the room to put the album in the player, she was no longer the strange genius who had seemed to live in a different world from us; she was just another girl who liked the same music that we did.

At last it came to time for us to leave, though not before Usagi had helped Ami wash up, while I cleaned the table. "See you at school tomorrow, Ami-chan!" Usagi called as we waved goodbye. "And come and have lunch with us!"

"Usagi-chan, I think that's going a bit far," I said to her once we were outside. "What will the others say?"

"I'll just tell them they've got to be nice to her," said Usagi. "Besides, you know they'll all want to be friends with her so she can help them study."

I sighed. "And doesn't that worry you?"

"Worry me?"

"That Mizuno-san might think they only want to be friends with her for that reason, I mean."

Usagi frowned. "It's a start, though, isn't it?" she said. "I'll get them to be friends with her in the end, you'll see."

I shook my head. "I've known you all these years and you still manage to surprise me."

Usagi laughed. "Well?" she said. "You know I'll be looking forward to having Ami-chan studying with us. She's sweet, brainy _and_ an Aino Minako fan; what more could you want in a friend?"

"What indeed?" I said. But I was secretly thinking to myself that I would indeed want something more from Mizuno Ami, and I felt I had an idea what that something might be.


	15. Book I Ch 14 Juban Hospital

**(o)**

**14  
>Juban Hospital<br>**

"Wow," said Yumiko. "I can't believe you guys actually went to Mizuno-san's place."

It was the next day at school, and the five of us were sitting round a table, as we usually did during our lunch break. There was no sign of Ami.

"What was it like?" Kuri asked eagerly, leaning across the table towards us and nearly getting an elbow in Usagi's lunch. "Oh, sorry. But tell me, is it really true that she's a robot?"

"What?" Usagi grimaced in surprise.

Kuri nodded vigorously. "That's what Kenichi told me, and he heard it from Umino."

I laughed. "And you think _Umino's_ a reliable source of information?"

"Well, I know he's weird, but he _knows_ stuff, you know?"

"Silly girl," said Yumiko. "Of course it's not true. If they could make robots like that, they wouldn't need to send them to school."

Kuri snorted. "Well then, how do you explain it?"

Yumiko smiled knowingly. "I expect they just dropped her on her head when she was born, and she's never been normal since."

Usagi was close to tears. "You're being _horrible_ to her!"

"Why?" said Yumiko. "Nothing wrong with being abnormal. I wish I was, sometimes."

Kanami suddenly nudged her with her elbow, and she winced. "What is it?"

Kanami nodded towards a point behind my shoulder, and we all looked round. Ami was standing about a metre away, holding a newspaper in one hand and her lunch in the other, hesitating shyly as she came towards us.

"Ami-chan!" Usagi called out happily. "Come and sit down!"

"Oh, it's 'Ami-chan', is it?" Kuri hissed. Then she looked up and gave Ami a smile that was, perhaps, a little too sincere to be convincing. "Good morning, Mizuno-san."

"Good morning." Ami bowed politely to all of us and then sat.

"So, what's in the paper?" Yumiko said at once.

To my surprise, Ami turned towards me. "I think you'd better read it, Osaka-san," she said. "It… it's not pleasant news."

Frowning, I pushed my lunch aside and took the paper. I saw at once which article Ami wanted me to read; it was on the front page in huge characters. "Aino Minako injured in hit-and-run incident!" the headline screamed. Below that, in smaller type: "Star in hospital, rumours say in critical condition."

"_What?_" I cried.

Seeing how shocked I was, the others all crowded round, and for the next while we were busy in a game of snatching it from each other's hands. In the end, Yumiko, who was tallest, stood up and held the paper above our heads while she read it out loud.

It seemed that, the day before, Minako had been on her way to an event to promote her new album, and her chauffeur had decided to stop at an intersection some distance away so as to avoid the crowds. But then, as Minako had stepped out onto the road, she had been hit by a car illegally overtaking at high speed. She was rushed to hospital, and police were appealing for any witnesses who could help them track down the driver, since Minako's chauffeur had only been able to give somewhat sketchy information.

"How horrible!" said Usagi. She had been listening the most intently of any of us; her chopsticks lay untidily on the table where they had fallen from her suddenly limp hand.

"I know," Ami said quietly. "But my mother says that her condition isn't nearly as bad as rumours have been saying."

"Your mother?" said Kanami.

"Yes, she's a doctor at Juban Hospital. That's where Minako-san is."

"Really?" said Kuri, leaning forward intently. "What did she say?"

Even though I was shocked by the news, I had to smile. Ami was no longer the outsider now that she was the bearer of important news. The other three weren't diehard Aino Minako fans like Usagi and I, but she was still a celebrity, and celebrity news was Important Gossip.

"She said that Minako's recovering well, there are no broken bones, and she might even be able to leave the hospital soon."

"Thank goodness," Usagi said fervently.

"Must be nice to be her," said Kanami. "I bet she'll have lots of visitors and presents. Last time I was in hospital I didn't have any, except for my parents."

Ami shook her head. "No, they're not going to let fans in. She needs peace and quiet so she can recuperate."

"That's a pity," said Usagi.

I glanced at her. She looked unusually thoughtful.

"I mean, it would have been nice to pay her a visit, just to let her know we're all wishing her a speedy recovery."

Ami smiled. "If you wanted to, I could arrange with Mother for you to get in," she said.

"What!" Usagi cried. "Really?… You mean, I could actually get to see Minako? Ami-chan, you're a star!"

Ami blushed. "I don't think she'd let all six of us in at once, though," she said. "Perhaps if we went in pairs…."

"Oh, you can count me out," Yumiko said at once. "I've got archery club after school, and I'm not exactly a big fan of hers anyway."

"I'll stay out of this as well," said Kuri. She peered at Ami out of the corner of her eye and frowned, and I guessed that she still didn't trust her enough to hang out with her without Yumiko there. Whether or not she still believed Ami was a robot, I couldn't say.

"Really?" said Ami. "All right, then, if the others will come with me to the hospital then I'll get Mother to let you in. Will you meet me at the west gate after school?" She rose from her seat. "I'd better go; I have to return a book to the library before our next class." She turned away, and very nearly collided with Chieko, who had been standing behind her. "Oh… I'm very sorry, Seto-san," she stammered, making a hasty bow.

"Enjoying your new study group, Mizuno-san?" said Chieko. "I'm surprised someone like you can tolerate Tsukino-san for very long; didn't she get bottom grades on our last exam? You want to be careful her bad habits don't rub off on you."

"Thank you for your concern," Ami said, keeping her head bowed. "However, I don't need advice when it comes to choosing my friends."

"As you like," said Chieko; and she turned, linked arms with Junko, and sauntered away.

* * *

><p>It was a warm and pleasant afternoon as the four of us walked to the hospital, which was not far away. As soon as we got there, though, we saw that it would not be easy to get inside. The entrance was jammed solid with a crowd of Aino Minako fans – and I could tell they were fans, not just because they were waving banners embroidered with "Get well, Minako!" and similar slogans, but also because many of them had dressed for the occasion in Minako's characteristic stage outfit, a chartreuse tank top and an orange skirt, and wore wigs that matched her long blond hair. Not all of those wearing the outfits and wigs were girls, either.<p>

"What do we do now?" I whispered.

"I don't know," Ami admitted. "I hadn't expected anything like this."

Cautiously, we moved forward to the fringes of the crowd. Ami, as the tallest of us four, tried to peer over their heads to see if she could see a way through. But when she turned back towards us, she was shaking her head in disappointment.

"I'm not giving up," I said. "Mizuno-san, can't we get a message to your mother?"

"I could go and look for a public phone," Ami said doubtfully, "but it may take a while to find one, and I don't like to leave you waiting…."

"Your mother's inside and you need to get through?" a voice interrupted.

We looked round. A girl was leaning nonchalantly against a tree: a tall girl, with thick brown hair in a ponytail. She had a sweet face, with large, innocent green eyes and a perky smile; she was dressed casually in a chocolate top and dark green skirt.

"That's right," said Ami. "Do you know how we could…."

"Stand aside!" she said loudly. Then she stepped past and began, gently but firmly, to push people out of her way. "Move aside, everyone! Important people coming through!"

We hurried after her before the gap in the crowd could close again. She set a strenuous pace, and I had to tug Kanami's arm to stop her falling behind, as she was rather chubby and found it hard to keep up. The crowd pressed in close on either side, but ahead of us, somehow the girl managed to clear a path, and after one of the least pleasant minutes of my life we all burst through and almost fell, panting, onto the hospital steps.

"Th… thank you!" Ami said breathlessly.

"No worries," said the girl. "If you need any help getting out again, just shout for me. The name's Kino Makoto."

* * *

><p>We had no problems getting inside the building itself; the security staff recognised Ami and made way for her. Once inside, we crossed the lobby and went up a wide staircase. A girl, clad in a white duffel coat with her hood pulled down to half-cover her eyes, was descending at the same time, and Kanami bumped into her. Both hastily apologised, and the girl hurried away.<p>

At the top of the stairs, we went all the way down a long corridor to a waiting-room at the far end. There were several rows of seats, with just a few people dotted around; Ami sat us down and went to fetch her mother.

They returned a couple of minutes later. Dr Mizuno Saeko was tall and slender, with a stern-looking face, though it may just have been her glasses. She smiled when she saw us, and bowed politely. "I'm very glad Ami is beginning to make friends at last," she said.

"How is Minako-san?" I asked.

"She's recovering very well, and seems in excellent spirits," said Dr Mizuno. "I'll just go and tell her she has visitors; I'm sure she'll be very glad to receive you."

"Yay!" Usagi cried. "I can't believe it! I'm going to be in the same room as Aino Minako!"

"Just try not to get too excited, or you'll scare her away," I laughed.

But it was not to be. Just as Dr Mizuno turned to head back into the ward, a huge crash came from that direction, as though a heavy object had fallen over. We all jumped up; but we were too surprised to do more than stare as a man dressed in black came rushing out of the corridor leading to the ward. He crashed into Dr Mizuno and knocked her aside, and then leapt over a seat and ran through the waiting-room and away.

"Stop that man!" Dr Mizuno cried; but, like us, the other visitors were too slow to react.

"What's going on?" said Kanami.

"Stay here, I'll find out!" She ran back towards the ward, and almost immediately we heard her cry out in shock. We glanced at each other and then all ran together after her.

We found her on the threshold of a small room off to the side from the main ward. A sign on the door said it was occupied by one Aino, M. But there was no Aino, M, nor anyone else, in the room. The source of the huge crash was immediately obvious: some form of medical apparatus next to the bed had been knocked over on the floor, and a small wooden table lay on its side with one leg broken off.

I stood and stared. Then a nudge in my side made me look round. "Osaka-san," Ami whispered, "that girl on the stairs just now!"

"Of course!" I breathed. I grabbed Usagi's hand. "Come on!" I said; and the two of us raced away. We would have to trust Ami to think up some excuse for our departure.

We came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, and stood for a while, looking desperately around in all directions. But the girl was no longer in sight. We ran up to the security staff at the main entrance and asked them if they had seen a girl in a white coat and hood. They shook their heads and looked at us blankly. But there were other exits from the lobby. One, leading to another wing of the hospital, was next to a coffee bar. I went up to the gentleman seated at the outermost table, and asked him the same question. He was more inclined to be helpful, but he was quite sure he had not seen the girl we were looking for.

The back corridor led deeper into the hospital. This seemed an unlikely choice for anyone trying to leave the building, but we had to at least look. We went along the corridor more slowly, so as not to miss anything of interest that might appear to either side. Soon, we came upon a bay containing the doors of three elevators, and I crossed to look at the floor plan.

"Do you think she went this way?" Usagi said doubtfully.

"These go down to a car park," I said. "It stands to reason there'd be a way to get outside from there…."

"So what are we waiting for?" Usagi said, jamming a finger on the down button.

I was growing uneasy by this time; the further away we went, the more chance there was of missing Ami and Kanami when we went back. And we had no way of knowing if this was all just a wild goose chase. But Usagi was so enthralled, I did not have the heart to even suggest giving it up. I couldn't help smiling; she really had changed. Perhaps she had always had a thirst for adventure somewhere under the surface, and becoming Sailor Moon had only helped to awaken it.

The car park, when we reached it, was ominously dark. One row of yellow lights shone in the ceiling, lighting the way down the centre of the open space but leaving wide expanses to either side in shadow, and the lights were faint and flickering. There was no sound except for a low continuous humming, and, as we looked around, we could see no-one, only endless rows of cars lying motionless; one might have thought them dead were it not for the way they caught and threw back the light. I gripped Usagi's hand and we took deep breaths together. Her hand was sweaty and trembling, and I could hear her heart thudding across the silence.

We stepped forward slowly and cautiously, every now and then stopping to look around and listen out. Even though we didn't really feel in danger, this was a good deal more exciting than the games we had used to play at parties, because we were in unknown territory and there were no rules or parameters. It was almost as though I could feel, in the texture of Usagi's hand, the intensity of her own excitement; and that fed mine like two sparks helping each other to burst into life. Neither of us spoke; our touch spoke for us better than any words could.

We had reached a point near the centre of the floor when I heard a tiny noise, like someone tiptoeing through the darkness. Hastily, I pulled Usagi back. We flattened ourselves against a pillar, trying to breathe as silently as we could. We allowed ten seconds to pass.

I peered carefully around the side of the pillar and out into the empty space. There was definitely a man there. He was some distance away, but prowling towards us; he kept turning from side to side as though looking for something. I held my breath and looked more closely. He was dressed in black, and it was hard to tell, but I thought it could well be the same man who had come charging out of the ward. He was too far off for me to make out his features, and he had a mask over the lower part of his face. I gripped Usagi's hand very tightly. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew I mustn't feel afraid. We could run past him and back to the door any time we wanted. Or so I told myself.

And then he got out a torch and shone it into the shadows, probing from side to side.

I felt Usagi shudder, and I let go of her hand. "Get ready to run," I whispered.

But it seemed he was not in the mood for a thorough search. He turned the torch off and got onto a motorbike. I heard the engine splutter, and then the gate at the other end of the car park sliding open. I winced as the sudden flood of light dazzled my eyes. The motorbike roared into life and shot off, leaving a cloud of black smoke behind it.

"Now, Usagi-chan!" I cried. And we both ran forward, through the gate and out into the sunlight, just before it closed again behind us. The motorbike had already vanished down the road, but we had made it out into the fresh air again. We felt such a deep sense of relief that we collapsed together onto the grass, helpless with laughter.


	16. Book I Ch 15 Carla

**(o)**

**15  
>Carla<strong>

After what felt like a long time, we lifted ourselves up and shook the dirt off our clothes. Usagi turned to me and said, "But what do we do now, Naru-chan?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "Let's just have a look round."

We came out from the driveway and onto the street. A girl was standing by the entrance to the driveway: one of the Aino Minako lookalikes we had seen earlier, in full costume, though she had pale skin, and her blond hair looked like it might even have been natural.

"Have you seen a girl come past here?" said Usagi. "She was wearing a white coat and a hood…."

"I… I do not understand you," the girl said. Her speech was faltering, and she had a noticeable foreign accent.

"Do you speak English?" I asked her in that language.

She brightened up at once. "Yes, I'm from London."

"Pleased to meet you," I said, extending a hand. "My name's Naru Osaka, but you can call me Naru." I even remembered to say my name in the English order.

She shook my hand. "Carla Gold. And yeah, just call me Carla."

"This is my friend Usagi. She's also a big Minako fan."

Carla smiled at Usagi. "Then it's a pleasure to meet you." I translated, and Usagi bowed and returned her smile.

"How long have you been in Japan?" I asked.

"Oh, I just got in the day before yesterday."

"You came here specially for the release of the new album?"

Carla laughed with me. "Not at all, but I'm glad I caught it. Such a shock to hear about Minako's accident, though! I hope she's all right."

"So do we," I said fervently.

"Has there been any more news? You two just came out of the hospital, didn't you?"

"She wants to know the news about Minako-san," I explained to Usagi.

"Sure, why not?" she said. "Let's all go to a café together."

I blinked in surprise, but after a moment's consideration I decided to go along with it. Usagi always did like to be friendly to everyone, even strangers; and of course, meeting a fellow Aino Minako fan meant that there was already a sort of bond between us. I did worry about what might happen if word got round of Minako's disappearance from the hospital; but perhaps Usagi felt that, as a foreigner, Carla was someone it would be safe to tell.

So I translated the invitation, and soon afterward, the three of us were in a café together sipping milkshakes. Evening was closing around us, and I felt a little anxious about that; this was the latest I had ever been out on a schoolday without coming home first. But I wasn't too worried; I would just say I had been with Usagi, and even if that led to getting a lecture, maybe even a punishment – right now, as I sat there sipping my drink and trying to keep up with my translation duties, I felt that it would definitely be worth it. I hadn't had an evening like this for a long time. I loved the cosy feeling of making a new friend, and with Usagi there as well I felt perfectly at ease, knowing that even if I got a few of the English words wrong or messed up the pronunciation, no-one would care and we could all laugh about it together.

Usagi and I explained what had happened at the hospital, and Carla listened intently. "We're really worried about what's happened to Minako-san," Usagi finished off.

"Well, it's certainly touching that you're so concerned," Carla said with a smile. "I'm sure if Minako knew, she'd really appreciate it."

"But doesn't it worry you?" I said.

"Not really," Carla said thoughtfully. "If that was Minako you saw in the corridor, then it means she's up and about, and I'm sure she's well able to look after herself. I expect it was just her way of sneaking out of the hospital to avoid her fans."

"You could be right," I said, "but what about that man? How does he fit into things?"

Carla frowned. "Maybe just a fan who managed to sneak in, and got out fast when he knocked the table over? At least he couldn't have done Minako any harm, if she was already out of there. I'd just forget about him."

"If you insist," I said. "Though it still makes me feel uneasy."

"Let's talk about something else," said Carla. She leant in close and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Is it true, what I've heard about there being a magical warrior called Sailor Moon in this district?"

I tried to look more surprised than alarmed. "Who told you that?"

"Hikaru Sorano, the friend I'm staying with. She said that Sailor Moon appeared at her school last week and dealt with some troublesome boys."

"Yes, that would be our school," I replied. I didn't recognise the name of her friend, but there were plenty of girls in the other classes that I didn't know by name.

Carla's eyes seemed to come alive, as though a light was blazing up inside them. "So, it's true, then?" she said, leaning further across towards us.

"You tell her, Usagi-chan," I said. "She wants to hear all about Sailor Moon."

"Really!" Usagi grinned. "What do you want to know about her? She calls herself the warrior of love and justice, and whenever people are in danger, she appears out of nowhere to save them. She saved Naru-chan here from a monster."

I translated all this, and hastily explained (as Carla looked intrigued) that I had been unconscious at the time and hadn't actually seen very much of Sailor Moon.

"Fascinating," said Carla. "But what are these 'monsters'?"

"Nobody knows," I said. "We know they can disguise themselves as humans, and they seem to be able to exert some kind of mind control. And… when they attacked me, it felt like all my energy had been drained out of me. But Sailor Moon has a magical power that healed me, and she can break people free from their control."

Carla gazed at me with the same fierce fire. "And doesn't that seem… a bit convenient?"

I just looked at her blankly. "Convenient how?"

"That these monsters appear at just the same time there's a magical warrior with the power to fight them. Seems a bit too neat and tidy."

I felt a bit uneasy, though I didn't see how she could possibly guess the real explanation. "I'm not sure what you suspect," I said carefully, "but Sailor Moon's definitely real. Everyone in school saw her, and we all watched her heal the boys. And one of them was a close friend of ours. He couldn't possibly have acted the way he did – without some form of mind control."

"I see," Carla said thoughtfully. She grimaced, as though she found it hard to decide whether she really wanted to speak. At last she took a deep breath and went on. "You know… the reason I'm being wary is, I think I may have seen one of these monsters myself."

"What!" Usagi exclaimed after I had translated. "When was this?"

"Last night," said Carla. "I'd gone to a costume party – I was wearing the same Aino Minako outfit I'm wearing now. On my way back to Hikaru's place, I thought I'd take a shortcut down an alleyway, but the other end turned out to be blocked. I turned to go back, and there, standing just in the entrance to the alley, was this strange-looking woman."

"What sort of strange?" I asked.

I could tell that, now she had taken the plunge, Carla was really enjoying telling us this story. She flexed her hands and distorted her face as if she were trying to show us the terror she had felt, and her voice became slower and deeper, with an intensity I had not expected to hear from her. "Oh, she had this long, flowing red hair, and black clothes and really pale skin. I thought at first she was just going to a costume party as well – she really did look like some kind of vampire. And then, as we were standing looking at each other, she leered at me – it was really creepy, she had these ghastly sharp fangs – and a huge swarm of bats just came up from nowhere all around her."

"Bats?" I repeated in astonishment.

"I don't know, it may have just been some kind of trick of the light, but it certainly didn't feel like it." She shook her head vigorously.

"And what did you do?"

She laughed. "What would you have done? I ran for it, of course, as fast as I could."

"I thought you said it was a dead end."

"It was only blocked by a row of rubbish bins. I managed to squeeze past them and get away, and then I didn't stop running until I was a long way away from there."

"I see," I said. "And did the… well, the monster… did it follow you?"

"I didn't look behind me to find out, you can be sure. But when I started running, I heard it give a desperate shriek, as though it didn't want me to get away. I thought it might be a signal for the bats to attack."

"How scary," said Usagi.

I glanced at Carla, and then decided that, as she couldn't understand Japanese, this gave me the chance to have a few words in private with Usagi. "I've had an idea," I said. "Do you suppose the monster was trying to target her specifically?"

"It's possible," Usagi said doubtfully. "But wait! If she was in her Aino Minako outfit, that means the monster probably thought she was Minako-san!"

We stared at each other, open-mouthed. "Minako-san's in danger!" I said.

"It all fits in," said Usagi. "That man at the hospital, he must have been the monster in disguise. And now she's on the run. What can we do, Naru-chan? She might be being attacked right this instant!"

"If only we knew who Sailor Moon really was so we could get a message to her," I said.

"I'm sure she'll get the message," Usagi said brightly. "You know, she seems to have a knack for turning up just when she's needed."

"I hope you're right," I said, taking care to sound less confident. Then I looked back at Carla, and repeated what Usagi had just said, though I left out our previous discussion.

"I admire your confidence," Carla said with a smile.

"Well, isn't that what heroines like Sailor Moon are for?" said Usagi. "To give people confidence that the world works as it should, villains get punished for their evil deeds, and innocent people can walk the streets safely, knowing they have someone looking out for them."

"It sounds idyllic put like that," said Carla, "but she can't be on hand to rescue everyone who's in danger, can she?"

"Who knows what she can do?" I said. "The important thing is that she gives us hope – something to cling on to."

"It doesn't matter if the hope is real or not?" Carla returned at once.

"Ah, but hope's always real," said Usagi. "Who knows what is and isn't possible? If you wish for something with all your heart, anything can happen. That's my philosophy, anyhow."

"Maybe," said Carla. "I wonder if Sailor Moon herself would feel the same way, though."

"And why is that?"

"Because she knows what it costs to give people hope. Where is her own hope going to come from, I wonder? Isn't it something you can only ever create for other people?"

"That's such a sad way of looking at life," said Usagi. "I think… sometimes you just have to believe in yourself. After all, Sailor Moon wouldn't be fighting at all if she didn't believe it would achieve anything, would she?"

"But if all that it achieves is to give people hope – how is that any more than a dream?"

"Even if it's just a dream, hope is still worth having," Usagi insisted. "What's most important is that people have something they can believe in. That gives them the strength to fight for themselves."

"So you're saying that Sailor Moon is important – because people don't really need her?"

Usagi laughed. "I guess you could put it like that. People can be strange in that way."

"Maybe I just find it hard to believe in something like that," said Carla.

"Ah, but Sailor Moon is there for you, whether you believe in her or not," said Usagi. "You'll see."

"I hope so," said Carla. And we all smiled and shook hands, and went back outside. It was dark now and the night was growing cold, but it was still early enough to feel safe walking home. We left Carla at the bus stop, and talked of other things on our way back. But as we talked, I was still busy thinking about everything that had happened that day, and by the time I got home I had formed a plan of action.

* * *

><p>"What's all this about?" I asked Thetis later that night.<p>

"What do you mean, Mistress?"

"This monster targeting Aino Minako. Is it one of Jadeite's?"

"No. I've been keeping a close eye on him, as you ordered, and I know he hasn't created anything like that."

"That's very strange," I said. "We ought to get Sailor Moon to believe it's one of his, nonetheless. I don't want her to think there are two separate groups of enemies – that would just be a needless complication."

"Very well, Mistress."

"Here's my plan," I said. "Tell me, are you any good at altering your appearance?"

"I have that power."

"But could you make yourself look like a specific person – Aino Minako, for instance?"

"Easily," Thetis said in her usual flat tone.

I grinned. "So, what I want you to do is, disguise yourself as Minako and bump into Usagi, as if by chance. Let her follow you, and go somewhere where you can be alone with her so she can transform. I'll get Jadeite to create a monster and attack you – in your Minako disguise, I mean. Then, when Usagi defeats it, from her point of view it will all be resolved."

"But what about the other monster?" said Thetis. "What if the real Minako is still in danger?"

"I'm going to talk about that with Ami-chan," I said. "I'm sure she'll be able to help me work out what's going on. And I have the Pen, if there's any danger I need to take care of."

Thetis frowned, and for a moment I wondered if she was going to tell me yet again that it was a crazy plan and would never work. But it seemed that this time, she could find no faults to pick holes with.

"I will do my best, Mistress," she said.

* * *

><p>On Wednesday, Usagi and I arrived at school early to talk to Ami before lessons began. We told her all about our meeting with Carla, and she in turn told us about what had happened in the ward after we had gone.<p>

"I didn't find any clues in the room," she said. "Except that all of Minako's personal possessions were still there, suggesting that she'd fled in a hurry. She hadn't even had time to take her purse."

"That fits in with what we thought," I said. "She must have been fleeing from that man. But why did he knock the table over?"

"I had an idea about that," said Ami. "Suppose they struggled and she hit him and stunned him. Then she wanted to give herself a head start in getting out of there, so she tied him to the table leg. He struggled to get loose and managed to break the leg off, and overturned the table as he did."

"Brilliant!" I cried. "That's how it must have happened."

Ami blushed. "It's only a theory."

"But what happened after we left?" said Usagi.

"Nothing," said Ami. "Mother reassured everyone that nothing had happened; she said the man was just a crazy fan who had got in and then fled. No-one except us knows that Minako isn't still in the hospital – and I'm sure I can trust you both to keep quiet about it."

"Of course!" we both said.

"Good," said Ami. "Then – I suppose there's nothing more we can do except wait and see what happens."

"Indeed," I said. But I remained lost in thought for a long while, wondering what Thetis was going to do and whether or not everything would go according to plan.


	17. Book I Ch 16 Spirit Music

**(o)**

**16  
>Spirit Music<br>**

_(Thetis)_

Naru has asked me to give an account of the following events, as she did not witness them in person. And that is fine. I am not a writer, as she is; and no doubt my account will seem prosaic and tedious, as I lack her gift for infusing even the most everyday occurrences with an absurd outpouring of emotion that leaves me with doubts as to her complete sanity. But never mind. I have been commanded to write a report of these events, and so I must obey; that is the magic that was put into the Pen at the beginning, one thousand years ago when it was created by the magician known as –

But I digress, and doubtless if Naru were here she would be tutting with impatience right now. I was about to describe the events of Wednesday, the sixth of May. I had been instructed to disguise myself as the singer Aino Minako, and encounter Tsukino Usagi on the street as if by chance. This would not be possible until the end of Usagi's day at school, so I went first to the Crown Arcade to pass the time.

There is a basement room below the arcade that was, until recently, a storehouse for machines that had gone out of fashion and did not provide enough profit to justify supplying them with electricity. When Naru first told me to keep an eye on Jadeite, I had seen at once that it would be necessary to find him somewhere to stay: and a hotel would not do, as even there he would be too visible and too much talked about. Naru's decision to use the Crown Arcade as the designated meeting-place for her and Luna had led me to investigate it, and on discovery of the basement room, I had immediately gone to Furuhata Teruaki, Motoki's father, and offered him a price that demanded instant compliance. Money was no difficulty for me, as you may imagine, after a thousand years of saving. And so, the following evening, the basement was entirely ready for Jadeite and myself to move in. There was one main room, and it had been taken apart and completely refurbished. By the time the workmen were finished, it looked so cosy that I have no doubt it would have made Naru and her friends green with envy had they known about it. For some reason, young girls seem to be sickeningly sentimental about such things as smooth sea-blue carpets, dollhouse-white walls illuminated by halogen lamps that fill the room with a soft and soothing glow, and shiny tubes that dangle from the ceiling and flutter lazily with the slightest movement of the air, casting patterns of fluctuating stars and flashes of light over the walls. Next to this room were two smaller rooms, once used as spare offices; but I had insisted on these being included in the deal, so that Jadeite and I could each have a private space where we could go and not be disturbed. They were in effect our bedrooms, except that as spirits we do not need to sleep; but when you have lived for a thousand years, it is pleasant to be able to isolate yourself and switch off from the world to escape for a while from the sheer tedium of existing.

Furuhata Motoki knew about the arrangement, and let me in through a back door that normal customers were not permitted access to, leading to a staircase down to the basement room. As I had expected, I found Jadeite there; he was pacing around the room, puffing on a cigarette; he had taken up the habit as part of his investigations into human culture and what it was these strange people spent their time doing all day. I have never smoked, myself, but I am accustomed to the smell, as several previous masters of the Pen have had the habit; and now it seemed to give the room a feeling of coming home, as it told me as soon as I opened the door that Jadeite was inside.

"So there you are," he said, pausing to take his cigarette out of his mouth and blow a little puff of smoke in my face.

"Here I am," I said with a smile and a bow. "I hope you have not been waiting too long."

He laughed – and his eyes shone a mesmerising green. "Waiting for you?" he said. "You give yourself too much credit."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"What makes you think I'm waiting?" He sneered. "Maybe I'm just passing the time."

"But is it not the case that Queen Beryl has assigned you a target?"

"Oh, that." He snapped his fingers. "I can take care of her any time. Is that all you came here to say?"

"I know exactly where Aino Minako will be this evening."

He snorted. "Thinking of stealing my assignment?"

"Don't be so suspicious!" I said, stepping forward and running a finger gently down his cheek. "I'm only trying to help you."

He made no sign of acknowledgement. "Where will she be?"

"She's going to attend a jazz evening tonight at the '30 Thirties' club. After the performance, she'll slip out of the building by a back exit so as to avoid her fans. That will be the perfect chance for you to attack."

He scoffed. "Why not just attack her right there in the club?"

"Are you crazy?" I said. "With all those people watching!"

He gave a wicked smile. "I don't see why they should make things any more difficult for me. They might, however, make it more difficult for Sailor Moon."

I showed no emotion. This was not at all to my liking; he had a good point, but even though the question had not specifically come up in my instructions, I knew that Naru would not be happy at the prospect of the battle taking place in front of a crowd. So I had to persuade Jadeite to change his mind, but without letting him guess why this was important to me.

"I think it unwise to allow so many people to see you," I said casually. "It may make it more difficult for you to carry out future operations, and you do not want Queen Beryl to feel you are no longer useful to her."

"Bah," he said. "She won't feel that when I've brought back Minako's delicious energy."

"You have already failed twice," I pointed out.

He growled and lunged forward, slapping me hard across the cheek. I just straightened myself up again and smiled at him.

"I only failed because I wasn't warned to expect interference!" he snarled. "But this time I'll be ready for that annoying little busybody!"

"You have not yet fought her. You do not know the extent of her power."

He clenched his fists. "Are you trying to say I'm weak?"

"Not at all. Just that it might be wiser to take no risks. Do not put all your hopes on one battle; make sure that even if you lose, you can walk away feeling you have gained something."

Jadeite glared at me; I could see that he felt I had a point, but would die sooner than he would admit it.

"It may well be wiser to take no risks," he sneered. "So I'll do as you suggest – so that if it goes wrong, I can tell Queen Beryl it was _your_ idea."

I smiled. "We shall see about that," I said. "But I'm glad I was able to make you listen to reason."

"Reason?" he laughed. "Reason is overrated. My methods may not seem reasonable to an over-regulated mind like yours, but we'll see which of us succeeds."

He blew one last puff of smoke in my direction and strode out. I stood watching him for a while, until the door at the top of the interior stairs closed behind him; and then I looked round the room and got busy tidying. There was always a fair amount of tidying to be done after Jadeite had been in the room for a while – furniture to be put back neatly into place, sweet wrappers to collect, and the dust of the streets to be swept off the carpet and the seat of the sofa. He had even managed to get a shoeprint on one of the cushions, a muddy stain on its soft lilac texture that would have horrified someone like Naru or her mother. I, as I have said, give little consideration to such frivolous human notions. I stood for a while considering it, and then decided to leave it alone. It served as a nice reminder that the room was inhabited, that Jadeite had spent many hours here pacing about in frustration. Poor thing, he was not yet used to the burden of existence, and found it difficult to resign himself to idleness in times when he could not be useful.

* * *

><p>It was mid-afternoon when I left the secret base. It had started to rain, with a darkness in the sky promising heavier rain to come. I have been created with especial power over water, and as I stood waiting outside the east gate of the school, I wove the raindrops into a cloak that would keep anyone from seeing me. After a while, Usagi came out, alone; there was no sign of Naru or her other friends. She looked up at the sky, frowned, and hurried away. I followed.<p>

It was just as we came up to the shopping centre that the downpour began. It came on all at once, and Usagi took one look at the barrage of rain harrowing the ground around her and dived into the Crown Arcade; and it was not until the rain finally ceased two hours later that she emerged. In that time, I had finished changing my appearance, weaving a veil of water around me and tilting the drops to reflect the light, creating a seeming of colours that were not naturally mine. By the time Usagi came out of the arcade I had become Aino Minako so completely that, when I looked at my reflection in a puddle and compared what I saw to her picture on the album cover, I could not detect any difference.

I waited for Usagi around the corner. She was hurrying, and when I stepped out in front of her, she had no time to react before she crashed headlong into me. I was knocked back slightly; she rebounded off me and dropped into a muddy puddle.

"Ugh!" she cried as she scrambled up again. "My clothes! They're ruined!"

"I'm sorry!" I squeaked, in a much higher voice than my natural one. "Please – I'll pay to get them cleaned."

I pretended to root around in my pockets, but came up with nothing. "Oh no – I've not got any money on me. Here, send the bill to this address. Sorry, I've got to dash!" I handed Usagi a card I had prepared in advance – with Minako's name, of course – and hurried away while she was still recovering from the shock.

As I had predicted, she at once started to follow, mechanically, as though her feet were leading her against her will. I set a rapid pace through the streets, allowing her to keep me in sight while making sure she should not catch up, until we came to the "30 Thirties" club.

I glanced behind me one last time, to make sure that Usagi saw which building I was entering, and went in. The entrance hall was dim and smoky; flashing green and violet lights led the way forward, cutting a zigzag path between small tables and coatstands. The sounds of conversation and jazz music filtered through from deeper inside. The coatstands were heavy with black leather jackets, hanging all over so as to block any view of the interior of the club.

I could no longer keep in Usagi's line of sight without her getting close enough to call out to me, so I hid myself behind the door of a broom cupboard, and watched as she entered. She hesitated in the doorway, and then faded from sight. I wondered whether she had changed her mind, or was just suffering a failure of nerve. I tutted; I should have anticipated this, but I sometimes find it hard to keep up with the pace of human customs. I had forgotten that clubs like this are meant for adults; that Usagi would never have been in such a place before, and that she might find it intimidating, even threatening.

I was just trying to decide what to do, when she reappeared. There was no hesitancy about her now. Her blue raincoat was drawn tightly around her, the hood pulled over so as to keep her face in shadow. She drew herself up as high as she could, and walked with a determined stride, her toes curling with each step to give herself even more height; and she swaggered so as to emphasise her breasts. She strode past me without a glance to the side, and disappeared into the haze on the boundary of the inner room, where the light was shattered and thrown about in fragments by the thickness of the air. I changed my appearance as rapidly as I could, making broad strokes so as to look quite unlike Minako to a casual glance, while keeping the structure of the features the same to make it simple to transform back afterwards. Colours were easiest. I gave myself green hair, a red top and a black miniskirt; then I hurried in.

I slithered through the crowds until I found a vacant seat at one of the tables. The other seats were taken by a young couple who were too wrapped up in each other to pay me much attention; so I sat back and surveyed the room. There was a large main floor, most of it filled with people thronging about and writhing to the music; the tables were along one long side of the room, and the bar was at the end opposite the main door. Along the other side was a stage, in the middle of which was a grand piano. Most of the stage was in shadow, but three floodlights were focused on the pianist. I caught sight of Usagi, alone at a table to one side of the stage, gazing at the pianist with rapt attention. Whether she really appreciated this sort of music, or was just trying to blend in with this strange world, I could not say. To be honest, it was hard to understand how _anyone_ could appreciate this music. I am not an aficionado of jazz, but even compared with most jazz, this was… unsettling. It had no steady rhythm; it just kept moving, rolling over like someone unable to sleep. And every time I tried to lose focus and put it into the background, there was a sudden plangent discord that startled me awake again.

Then the pianist raised his left hand high, ready to smash it down onto the keys; and as he did so, his body turned slightly towards me. At once I understood why the music was so awful. I rose rapidly but calmly, and slipped around the back of the stage so I could approach him through the shadows. I gave a small cough.

"What in the name of darkness are you doing?"

"Playing the piano," said Jadeite.

"You call _that_ playing?" I fumed. "I thought we agreed that you would do this without drawing attention to yourself!"

"Don't you like my disguise?" he said – still thumping the keys as we were talking. "From here, I can see everything going on in the room."

I sighed. This was no time to start an argument.

"You can just watch. I will take over from here."

Jadeite glowered at me, but he left the seat. A few people applauded, which gave me the space to settle down and recover my poise. As soon as the applause ceased and the room was silent again, I lowered my eyes so as to lose the world around me, and began to play.

I played then as only we spirits can play, starting with a strumming so light as to be inaudible, hovering over the low notes and making them ripple like the breathing of the ocean waves, a sound that slowly built up until it eased into the lower layers of consciousness. Then, as the light seemed to dim around me and the room was suffused with the calm of the sea, I added the right hand, just a few tiny notes at first, points of light that thrilled for an instant of burning pain and then vanished, sweet pain that spoke of the loves of the spirits and their deep anguish. Yet still the left hand rippled, keeping the pain hidden behind a curtain of shadow, a curtain that shimmered as though in a faint breeze, uncovering for an instant here and there a crack that opened into a vast abyss of light. Slowly, the ripples grew louder and darker, a constant throbbing in a minor key, the heartbeat of a prisoner sighing for release. And I smiled, even though the light was cold and dead, because it somehow seemed to melt my pain away and dissolve it in the waves as they came billowing up around me. Then, at last, over this I laid the song I was singing in my soul, a song of endless depths of clear blue water reflecting the skies above; a song that called out to the person I loved in tones of diamond fire and burning coal. I pictured him in the fleeting poise of melodies twisting around and greeting each other; I held him in my eyes and sang him with my hands. I played until the sun set low in my heart and the melody died away to a few glistening embers before vanishing into the vibrations of one lingering chord.

And, at last, I took my fingers off the keys and looked around. They were silent, held in rapture by the unspeakable beauty of that which no man is permitted to see, the innermost core of another person's heart; then I bowed and smiled as the room rang with applause.

But there was one person in particular I was keeping an eye out for. Usagi still sat at her little table, sipping a cream soda with a disconsolate frown on her face. No doubt she was wondering where Minako had vanished to. I smiled; it was time for the next stage of the plan.

I made one last bow to the audience and disappeared towards the back door; then I transformed myself back into Minako and stood in the doorway just until I was sure Usagi had seen me. Then I slipped away again, and down a metal staircase into an alley behind the club. It was dark and silent, but I had already seen Jadeite's monster lying in wait under the staircase.

I pretended not to have seen it, and stepped out across the street, listening intently. Sure enough, when I had walked just a few paces, I heard the unmistakable sound of the monster's footfall as it crept from the shadows towards me. And then the door behind me clanged, and a voice called out, "Hold it right there! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"


	18. Book I Ch 17 Game Over, Play Again?

**(o)**

**17  
><strong>**Game Over, Play Again?  
><strong>

I waved goodbye to Usagi and hurried away. She was surprised when I said I could not walk home with her, and still more surprised when I refused to tell her why; but we're good friends, and she understands that sometimes I just need to have my own secrets.

I found Ami waiting at the school's south entrance. She nodded to me, smiled, and set off, and I fell into step beside her. This was not the uncomfortable silence we had when we walked to our lessons; this was the relaxing silence of strolling together with a friend, when nothing needs to be said because you already share each other's feelings, the same enjoyment of the balmy weather and the relative peace after a bustling day at school. Oh, I was curious about where we were going, but I trusted Ami, and I knew I would find out soon enough. Our route took us past Arisugawa-no-Miya Memorial Park, and the air was full of tendrils of scent that reached out and gently tickled as we passed. It was a beautiful day.

The road sloped gently downward, and we continued along it for a quarter of an hour. At first there was little noise, but soon we heard ahead of us the roar of traffic on a main road, growing steadily louder until all other sounds were lost in its tumult. Ami quickened her pace, and I sensed that we were near our destination.

When we reached the main road, she stopped and looked around.

"Why are we here?" I asked her.

"Because I've arranged to meet someone."

"Do I know this person?"

"Yes, you've met him. There he is!"

She waved, and then I saw walking towards us the last person I would have expected – Tsukino Kenji, Usagi's father. He was a middle-aged man of unremarkable appearance, smartly dressed, with a somewhat vacant expression beneath his large spectacles. I had met him before, many times, when visiting Usagi, but I'd never spoken to him much; all I knew about him was that he was a well-known reporter and photographer for some magazine or other.

He was happy enough to see me, anyway. "Hello, Naru-chan!" he called out. "Thank you so much for coming; you know Mizuno-san already, do you? Good; that'll make things easier."

I looked from one of them to the other, bewildered. "I didn't realise _you_ two knew each other," I said.

"We didn't before yesterday," Kenji said with a grin. "Mizuno-san came into my office to talk to me, and we arranged this meeting."

"But what's it all about?"

"Look around you. Don't you know where we are?"

I blinked as the sudden realisation came to me. Standing just a bit further back and looking east down the main road, what I saw in front of me was exactly the same as the picture in the newspaper. "This is where Minako-san had her accident!" I exclaimed.

"Exactly," said Kenji. "Just on that corner, in fact. Do you want to take a closer look?"

We moved forward slowly; Ami scanned the scene as we went as though committing its details to memory. There was nothing to mark the exact location, and the cars zoomed straight past as though it had no significance. Neither did they take any notice of us, which suited us perfectly. Ami crouched on the pavement and studied the spot intently.

"Have you found anything?" Kenji asked after a while.

Ami got up and beat the dust off her skirt. "I'm just trying to work this out," she said. "The car stopped right here – I remember that from the photograph. Now, over there" – she pointed – "is the street they were making for. So why did they stop so far away?"

"Maybe they couldn't park any closer," I said.

Ami shook her head. "They weren't trying to park; he was just stopping to let her out."

"That is strange," said Kenji. "What do you think it means?"

Ami drew a line with her hand, trying to visualise the path the car had taken. "It means," she said slowly, "that she was deliberately placed on the inside of this corner – because it's the one place on this road where the other driver might not see her, so it would look like an accident. You see, that roadsign would mask her from sight until he came round the bend."

I stared at her. "You can't be serious!"

Ami quavered a little. "I know it's a horrible thought, but I'm afraid there's no doubt."

"But… but why would anyone want to kill her? She's only thirteen!"

"She's very rich," said Kenji. "Money is a motive that's driven plenty of men to commit horrible deeds before now."

"I wonder," said Ami. "Who would gain by her death, do we know?"

Kenji answered at once. "She's not old enough to make a will, so her money would go to her mother."

"You can't possibly think…," I began.

"No, I don't," said Kenji. "For one thing, I've met Aino Kimiko – we ran an interview with her in our feature about the new album. A charming woman, and utterly devoted to her daughter. But even if you suppose that's all pretence – the simple fact is that Minako is worth a lot more to her while she's alive."

"You're right, of course," said Ami, sounding relieved. "Then who else would gain?"

"I have no idea, but I can try to find out."

Ami nodded. "At least we know one thing," she said. "Minako's chauffeur is the only one who could have chosen to place her just there on the corner, so he must be in the plot, along with the other driver. And as for him… he must be the man we ran into in the hospital."

I shuddered. I had not told Ami about our second encounter with that man. It had all seemed like a game at the time; had I really been standing that close to an assassin?

"I'll investigate the chauffeur," said Kenji. "His name is Saitou Sugao, and he's only been hired recently, so that could be a starting-point. I'll see if I can find out who's reponsible for hiring him, and how they came to choose him in particular."

"Can we not go to the police?" I asked him.

Kenji shook his head. "The evidence is all circumstantial. They'd have nothing to go on."

"Then… what's going to happen?" I said nervously.

Kenji drew a long breath. "If you ask me," he said, "they're stymied. They missed her at the hospital, and now she knows she's a target and is hiding. The public thinks she's still in hospital, and they can't reveal the truth, or Dr Mizuno will come forward with her story."

"But she can't just stay in hiding for ever."

"No. And that's why I'm going to make sure I find her before they do."

I looked at him in surprise; I had never known him speak with such fervency before. "I hope you do," I said.

"Thanks," he said with a weak smile. "Let's get going."

It had started to rain, and Ami seemed to be done searching for clues, so we set off in the direction of our homes. The three of us walked together in silence for a long while.

"Naru-chan?" Kenji said at last.

"Yes?"

"Tell me about Sailor Moon."

I think my heart must have stopped for a moment. "Why do you ask?" I stammered.

"My daughter's told me a lot about her, but I was hoping you could tell me more, as I think you've actually seen her."

"I have," I said cautiously, "but I can't tell you much."

"So she really exists…." Kenji was lost in thought for a long time, and I found myself beginning to get very nervous.

"Kenji-san?" I said. "Are… are you trying to find her, as well?"

"I'd certainly feel a lot easier in my mind if I did," he said. "I just don't like this. There's something not quite right about it, and I worry about where this may be leading."

I looked blankly up at him. "What do you mean?"

"A defender of justice suddenly appears," he said. "Monsters are roaming loose in our city. Are these signs of the end of the century? And if the end is coming, then what are the common people supposed to do – sit back and hope that she wins? What happens if she fails?"

"She's never failed yet," I pointed out.

"But how can we be sure that she never will?"

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"I want to find out as much about her as I can," he said. "The people need reassurance. I know I'm not the only one worried about what's happening to our city. In times like these, people need to know they have a hero they can rely on."

I could feel the panic coming on, but I forced myself to take steady breaths, to calm down, give nothing away. "Then… what will you do if you find her?"

"Well, if I could get an interview with her, that would be ideal," he said. "Photographs would be better than nothing – but I'd love to write a full exposé. Wouldn't that be something – the world's first ever interview with a magical warrior!" He sighed dreamily.

"What questions would you ask?"

"The extent of her powers, where they come from, that sort of thing. If people had more definite knowledge, then they would have more confidence that she won't let them down. But if I can't get that – I could print some photos and make up the details I need, and it will have the same effect."

"Would that be all right?" said Ami. "Telling the people something you know is a lie?"

Kenji smiled. "You youngsters are so idealistic. I have great respect for your intelligence, Mizuno-san – that's why I'm telling you these things I would never admit to my daughter. But yes. What really makes the difference between one reporter and another, what determines who the public will listen to, is all in the presentation – the way we take a few facts and weave a story around them. Facts don't speak. In themselves, they don't have a moral. We have to choose the moral for ourselves and tilt the facts to point together towards it. That's how we get people to believe things."

"That must be a great burden," said Ami.

"It can be," said Kenji. "Some – do not choose to use our power responsibly. They can be very dangerous. But I'm on the side of the angels. I'm sure that you know that."

"I promise I'll let you know if I find out anything more about Sailor Moon," said Ami.

"Thank you. And I'll let you know what I find out about Minako. You can drop round my office after school tomorrow." He glanced upwards. The sky had grown dark; there was a real downpour coming. "I'd better run," he said. "See you soon, Mizuno-san, Naru-chan."

He hurried away, and Ami made a move to follow him. I paused.

Ami looked round. "Is something wrong, Osaka-san?"

I hardly knew what to say.

Ami's face wore a look of deep concern. "What is it?" she said. "If something's troubling you, you can tell me about it."

"I hardly know where to start," I said. "If you've got time, can we go in here?" For we had stopped just outside the Crown Arcade.

"Sure," Ami said, and we went inside.

I led her to the Sailor V game at the back of the room. "Have you ever played this game, Ami-chan?"

She blushed. "Actually… I've never played a video game before."

"What!" I cried. "You must give it a try!"

I sat her down and showed her the controls, and a minute later she was busily shooting away at a horde of monsters. "So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" she said.

I took a deep breath. "I don't want you to talk to Kenji about Sailor Moon."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to risk him finding out who she really is."

There was a pause as Ami concentrated on reducing a gigantic lizard to its component pixels. "You know who she is, then?"

"Yes," I said quietly. I stopped and checked to make absolutely sure no-one else was near us. Even then, it wasn't easy to come out with the truth I had kept secret for so long, the truth I had thought I would never tell anyone. But I knew the time had come. I closed my eyes and steadied myself. It would be easiest just to get it out in one breath.

"She's my friend Usagi."

"I see," Ami said with no change in tone.

"You don't sound surprised…."

"What's surprising about it?" Ami didn't take her eyes off the screen. "I know you well enough to know you're telling me the truth."

I gripped the edge of the chair to steady myself. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of sheer relief at having someone I could share this with at last. I had to fight back an impulse to let it all out, to tell Ami the whole story in one burst. Cautiously, I said, "There's more to it."

"Go on, then."

And I sat down and told her everything – the Pen, Thetis, Jadeite, the monsters, and how I had created Sailor Moon and why. By the time I was done, Ami had racked up a score of some six thousand points – not bad at all for a first try.

"Incredible," Ami said at last.

"But you do believe me, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

I sank back into the seat. I felt like I was floating in the ocean, buoyed up by the density of our friendship. I was safe and could relax now. It was a marvellous feeling.

"Ami-chan," I said, "will you be the next sailor warrior?"

For a while I thought she had not heard me. She was pouring flashes of light into a boss monster while dodging the lasers his eyes fired back at her, and her score had reached ten thousand points – already better than Usagi's best score.

"Why?" she said at last.

It was easier now that the big hurdle was over, and the words came rushing to my mouth faster than I could get them out. "It'd be great if you and Usagi could fight alongside each other," I said. "You'd make an excellent team; you could come up with strategies to help Usagi fight the monsters, and besides, I know she likes you, and she'd feel more confident having another person round. Also," I added more carefully, "I think she's finding it hard, having a secret she can't share with anyone – she needs to have someone else who's in on it, a friend she can share her burdens with."

There was another long silence.

"Is that it?" Ami said at last.

"Is that… what?"

"That's why you and Tsukino-san have been taking an interest in me – you just wanted my brains for this mad scheme of yours." She shook as she held back the tears; her character was firing so many missiles that I could not even see the monsters any more. "I suppose I should have known, shouldn't I? That's all I'm really any good for. At least Seto-san and Guren-san don't try to hide what they want from me. You could learn something from them."

I was close to tears myself now. "Ami-chan," I said quietly, "that's not how it is. Usagi really likes you. You don't ever have to talk to me again if you can't forgive me – but please try to be friends with her."

"You don't know what it means to be friends," Ami said. Her voice was quiet, but I could tell that she was closer to anger than I had ever seen her. The screen was a non-stop firework display in a dizzying swirl of interlocking colours, and her score went up so rapidly that all I could see clearly was the first digit changing from 2 to 3. That had to be a new record.

Not that Ami seemed to take much notice. "Didn't you hear what Kenji-san said?" she went on. "People are afraid now, because of your monsters. Where's it all going to end? You're taking over your friend's life, treating everyone around her as if they were just characters in her story – doesn't it occur to you that they have stories of their own? You've gone too far, Osaka-san, and I want nothing to do with any of this."

She slammed a hand down on the controls and stood up. Her character stopped moving, but the screen was still covered in explosions, feeding each other until they erupted in one final blaze of light, and the score counter went wild – eighty, ninety, _one hundred_ thousand points. A few boys had noticed and were standing around, gawping and pointing.

"Let me past," Ami said icily; and they fell back out of her way, bowing rapidly as one does in the presence of a deity.

"Ami-chan!" I called desperately after her. "Please – just think about it. Can I see you at school tomorrow and talk about this again?"

Ami stopped and turned to face me; there was no anger in her eyes now, only a look of hollow disappointment. "Yes, we can talk about it again, Osaka-san," she said. "When you've grown up a little."


	19. Book I Ch 18 Identity Crisis

**(o)**

**18  
><strong>**Identity Crisis**

_(Thetis)_

I flinched back as the monster lunged towards me: not from fear, but to simulate it. I knew the thing could not do me any harm, for I knew the limits of the powers that had gone into Jadeite when Naru and I created him. He had, as I had suggested, gone with a bat theme for the monster, and it had black arms ending in sharp talons, large oval ears, and vast near-black wings that flapped out to block all view of the alley behind it.

But Jadeite was there, even though I could not see him. "Get her, Cyrene!" he called out. "Ignore Sailor Moon! Finish the girl!"

It was a good strategy, I had to admit. As Cyrene leapt onto me, scratching at me with her talons as blood dripped from her leering fangs, Sailor Moon stood bewildered, unable to attack without taking the risk of hurting me. I couldn't have that, so I twisted back as if I were struggling desperately against the monster, and then slumped to the ground as though my energy was spent. Usagi screamed.

Cyrene grinned, and turned her hideous face to leer at Usagi, who was now standing at the foot of the stairs. She took off her tiara and prepared to throw it, but Cyrene was too quick for her. She leapt towards her with talons outstretched, and Usagi just had time to writhe out of her way. She fell to the ground with a bump, and sobbed – but she was stronger now than when she had first fought. She gritted her teeth and stood up again.

She and Cyrene stood facing each other, while Jadeite was in a doorway nearby, leaning on the frame with one hand and holding his cigarette in the other, watching the combat with an expression of detached amusement. Usagi carefully poised her tiara, while Cyrene flexed her claws, neither wanting to leave themselves exposed as they prepared an attack. I do not think Usagi had yet noticed that Jadeite was there.

It was Cyrene who snapped first; she snarled deep in her throat and threw a claw out towards Usagi, scraping viciously through the air. Usagi faded back and swung her tiara, and Cyrene gave a strangled gasp as its magic began to work on her. She was unable to move, unable to do anything to avert her fate as she melted away into a puddle of goo.

From the street behind Usagi there came a slow, steady clapping.

She swivelled round, and saw Jadeite walking towards her. "You've interfered with my plans once too often," he said.

"No way!" said Usagi. "Then – you must be the monsters' boss!"

"I am Jadeite of the Dark Kingdom," he said. "Prepare yourself, Sailor Moon!"

She stepped back and threw the tiara at him. He smiled, and held out a hand – and it stopped in mid-air, still spinning round, then dropped to the floor with a soft metallic tinkle.

"No…," Usagi whimpered. "The tiara didn't work! Why?"

Jadeite's laugh echoed cruelly through the silence that followed. He stepped towards her and stretched out his hand. "_Jade Laser!_" he cried.

His eyes gleamed with a dead light, and a lime-green flash shot from the palm of his hand towards Usagi. Her cry of pain as it struck her was cut short as the breath was crushed out of her, and she fell back, struck the wall heavily and dropped to the ground. Jadeite smirked, deep satisfaction etched in the curve of his chin and the creases of the skin under his eyes. The cold light of the streetlamps glinted off an exposed tooth.

Usagi looked warily up at him. Her fists pressed into the ground to steady herself as she fought back the tears. "Why?" she said again.

I said and did nothing. Like Naru in the jewellery shop, I thought it better if she did not realise I was still conscious. Besides, I was not worried about the outcome, for I knew the magic of the Pen well enough to know what was about to happen.

As Jadeite continued to advance, enjoying the look of fear in Usagi's eyes too much to finish things off so quickly, a rose cut across the air in front of him and struck him on the elbow. He span round; it had been thrown from the doorway he had been standing in.

"Tuxedo Mask!" Usagi cried; and sure enough, Mamoru was leaning in the doorway in the absurd costume Naru had designed, holding his cane in one hand and pointing it slightly forward, to make sure Jadeite knew he was ready to strike.

"Another one of these weirdoes," Jadeite snarled.

"A melody is brief, but its beauty lingers in the mind," said Mamoru. "Only the most evil of people dare to despoil such beauty."

Jadeite snorted with contempt and fired another light beam towards Mamoru; but he slipped to the side and slashed forward with his cane, striking Jadeite in the jaw and knocking him back. Jadeite fell into a crouching position, his cheek flushed bright red, and he snarled in fury. Mamoru poised his cane over his right shoulder and struck downwards, and Jadeite leapt up and grabbed it with both hands. He yanked it back like a lever to pull Mamoru forward, making him slip past his side; and then he turned and slammed himself into his opponent, his knee connecting with Mamoru's thigh and driving him off balance. Mamoru twisted his arms as he struggled to right himself, and his grip on the cane loosened. Jadeite pried it from his grasp, and held it high over his head with a roar of exultation. His arms stretched higher than I would have believed possible, showing off the tremendous strength of his shoulders, and his face hardened into a snarl like that of a majestic wild beast.

"_Tuxedo Mask!_" Usagi cried; and finally, seeing him hurt somehow gave her a new strength. She pushed her fists into the ground to fling herself up, and spun the tiara through the air towards Jadeite. She was over to one side and behind him, and he did not see it coming until it was too late. The tiara struck him in the side of the head and stunned him, and Mamoru sprang up and wrested his cane back.

But Jadeite was too strong for the tiara to destroy him as it did his monsters; he was not even wounded. He looked from Sailor Moon to Mamoru and back, decided to wait until another occasion when the odds were more in his favour, and clicked his fingers and vanished.

And the two of them stood alone, facing each other.

Mamoru made a small bow. "Thank you," he said.

"Are… are you all right?" said Usagi.

"I am unhurt, thanks to you. You are a brave fighter, Sailor Moon."

Usagi blushed deeply and half-closed her eyes. "I'm so glad!" she said. "But tell me… who are you?"

"You know that. I am Tuxedo Mask."

"Oh, you silly, that's not what I mean!" Usagi giggled. "What I mean is… I want to know… who are you if you take your mask off?"

"If I take my mask off?" He sounded puzzled.

"Yes. Who are you really, what's your real name, who are your parents?"

He turned away from her. "I… have no memory of such things."

"What!" Usagi cried. "You don't remember who you are?"

"I do not," he said quietly.

"I wonder," said Usagi. "You must be _someone_, you know. Maybe if you took off your mask and let me see your face, I could help you find out who you are."

There was a long silence.

"I don't think I want to find out," he said.

"What?" cried Usagi. "Don't you have any curiosity? Don't you want to have a name – an identity – a family? Don't you feel lonely without all that? I know I would."

She stepped forward and touched him on the arm, as if to nudge him round to face her again. But he turned resolutely away.

"Perhaps the truth is hidden from me for a reason."

"Don't be absurd," Usagi said, clutching his arm tightly. "How could that be?"

"I am a fighter," said Mamoru. "My purpose is to fight alongside you, and that's all I need to know. Anything else would only get in the way."

"But _why?_" cried Usagi. "If you don't even know who you are, then… why did you rescue me? How did you know about me?"

"I cannot tell you."

Usagi sobbed. "You're so cruel," she said. "Why are you pushing me away? Can't you see that I just want to be close to you?"

Mamoru tilted his head towards her and smiled. "You are kind as well as brave, Sailor Moon. But I will be more effectively able to help you if I continue to work from a distance."

She shook her head firmly. "That really doesn't make sense."

"No?" He turned fully round, placed a hand under a chin, and turned her face upwards so their eyes met directly. "Then – will you tell me who _you_ are?"

There was a long silence.

"No, I can't," she said. "Luna told me not to tell _anyone_. You never know who might be listening. And… I'm so sorry… I just don't know whether I can trust you."

"No need to apologise," he said gently. "Why would it matter if someone was listening?"

She stared at him, looking terrified, like a rabbit in the headlights.

"Because then word might get out… and I can't have people knowing who I am! They need to think I'm some kind of mythical hero, not plain –" She caught herself just in time.

Mamoru bowed to her, and turned away again with a wide sweeping motion. "And it is better that you think of me in that way," he said. "Farewell, Sailor Moon."

"No, wait!" she called out. But it was no use. He broke into a run, his cape billowing out behind him, and disappeared through the haze and into the darkness beyond.

I felt that would be a good moment to groan and open my eyes, fitfully, as though even that dim light was painful to me. Usagi instantly span round.

"Minako-sama!" she cried. "Are you all right?"

I smiled as I extended a hand for her to help me up. "Takes more than that to keep me down," I said. "Thank you for saving me, Sailor Moon."

"Yes, um… I mean… it's a pleasure!" She bowed several times, in a mad fluster.

I grinned and returned the bow, just once. "I'll be going, then."

I was already walking away when I heard Usagi call out behind me. "Wait, Minako-sama!" she said. "Can… can I have your autograph?"

And I am sure that if the real Minako had been there just then, she would have burst out laughing at the image of Sailor Moon, fearless defender of her city from the forces of darkness, begging for an autograph, weak-kneed like any other teenage fangirl. But I kept myself in check. "Sure," I said; and I took the pen and paper she held out to me, signed, and then fled into the shadows while she was still gaping at the paper in wide-eyed astonishment and trying to work out when exactly Aino Minako had changed her name to Thetis.

* * *

><p>Naru was home before me, and when I entered her room through the mirror in my customary fashion, I could see at once that she was upset. She was sitting sideways on her chair, one arm draped over the back of the seat and her head tucked into her shoulder, staring at the floor. She made no sign of having noticed my entrance.<p>

"Mistress," I said, and coughed. There was no response.

"Mistress!" I said again, more sharply.

"What is it?" She still did not look round.

"My mission was a success. Sailor Moon defeated the monster Cyrene, and believes that she has saved Aino Minako."

"That's good," Naru said tonelessly.

I waited, and when she said nothing more, I asked, "Mistress, what is wrong?"

Naru sighed and glanced up at me. "Ami-chan doesn't want to become a sailor warrior."

"Well, if she doesn't want to, we can't force her."

She scowled. "You don't understand."

"Then – explain."

"I just wanted her to be friends with Usagi," she said wretchedly. "I thought they would get on and make a great team – and help to make it a really good story. Usagi can't fight on her own for ever. That just gets dull."

"I did say that you should plan out the story before you began it," I said.

"Spare me your platitudes," Naru groaned. "I know I did it all wrong. I should have been honest with Ami from the start. Then she'd never have accused me of using her."

What could I say? It was not my place to try to change the kind of person Naru was; and yet I could not help but be moved by her utter despair. Indeed, it was the very completeness of her despair that made me sense a little thread of hope, a feeling that maybe she could be made to realise her mistake and set on the right path; and so I pressed on.

"You did not go about it wrong," I said. "You just had the wrong goal in mind. You wanted to use Mizuno Ami in your story, whether she wanted to be in it or not; and that is not something a real friend would do."

"But for her own good!" Naru protested. "Ami-chan's desperately lonely. She'd be much happier if she and Usagi could be friends…."

"And do you honestly think that this ridiculously convoluted scheme is the best way of achieving that?"

"Please," Naru wept. "Thetis, don't… don't make this any harder for me. I'm suffering enough as it is."

There are times when not even a thousand years of learning can tell you what to do in a situation. I did the best I could. I stepped forward and gently stroked Naru's hair, and remained in silence for several minutes as I allowed her to cry. Then I stretched out my hand and offered her a tissue, and turned away and waited while she used it.

"I'm _not_ giving up," she said. "Especially not now. I want to put things right with Ami-chan. I want to make her understand that I was really trying to help her."

"And how are you going to do that, Mistress?"

Naru took a deep breath. "I know she'll be going to cram school on Friday. I'm going to get Jadeite to create a monster to attack the school. When she's in danger and Usagi comes to rescue her, _then_ she'll see just how much Usagi cares about her – and maybe she'll understand that this world really is something worth fighting for."

I buried my face in my hands.

"Well?" said Naru.

With a deep sigh, I forced myself to face her. "Naru-san," I said, "for a moment I was beginning to hope you understood. You can't mess around with other people's lives like this."

"And why not, if I'm helping to improve their lives?"

"You can't ever know that."

"Well, maybe I want to take the risk. Maybe I think it's an even greater risk, that I might come to the end, knowing I could have helped my friend and I did nothing. Sometimes you just have to make these decisions, whether you can see where they will lead or not."

I shook my head. "If what you really want is to improve your friend Ami's life, there are so many simpler ways you could do that…."

"But this is the way I want to do it," she said stubbornly. "Because I'm a writer, and this is what I know how to do."

"You mean that you already have a plan for how you want to use Ami, and that makes you unwilling to look for alternatives."

"Maybe it does," she said, clenching a fist. "And maybe I just feel I _know_ this is going to work and I don't want to waste time thinking about other plans. You see, I know Ami, at least a little. You don't. So I think I know better than you what she needs to make her happy."

I bowed. "I was not trying to prescribe a course of action, Mistress," I said. "I am merely asking you to make sure you consider what you are doing. In the end, it is your decision."

"I know it is," she said. "I'm going to bed now. I'll talk to Jadeite tomorrow."

"Very well, Mistress." I turned to leave.

"Thetis?" she said.

I looked back. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

I paused. For a moment, we were both still, gazing at each other. "For what, Mistress?"

"I don't know," she said. "I just felt it was the right thing to say."

I gave her a deep bow. "You have a kind heart, Naru-san," I said. "Don't ever forget that; you may need to hang on to it."

She burst into tears. I froze, and then, feeling it would be awkward to turn and leave, I stepped forward and allowed her to grab my arm and rest her head on it, her tears sliding down my sleeve and dripping onto the floor. We remained like that for some minutes, and then, suddenly feeling that I had gone too far, I walked away. There are times when someone like me, who was created without knowledge of human emotions, is not the best person to have around. I don't know whether that's something I ought to regret. At times I have wondered whether it might be nice to understand what all of that is about. And then I see someone like Naru almost broken with conflicting feelings, and I wonder whether it is really worth it.

And that is one question to which I just do not know the answer.


	20. Book I Ch 19 A Little Learning

**(o)**

**19  
>A Little Learning is a Dangerous Thing<br>**

"What have you done with Ami-chan?" Yumiko asked Usagi at lunch the next day.

"Ah, well, it's only to be expected," Kuri laughed.

"What do you mean?" said Usagi, looking slightly hurt.

"It's only natural that a genius like Ami-chan would get tired of someone like you," Kuri retorted, giving her a playful nudge.

I laughed along with everyone else; it was just good-natured teasing, after all, and Usagi didn't mind. And then I stopped, my hand halfway to my mouth, and turned to stare at Kuri. I hadn't imagined it; the others had started to call her "Ami-chan"! Deep inside me, I had always been sure they would accept her; but I had certainly not expected it to happen so soon. But I could see that Usagi was worried about Ami. She had disappeared after our last lesson, and was probably eating lunch by herself again as she had used to. I reached a hand across to Usagi and pressed it round hers for a moment, to reassure her that things would be all right.

* * *

><p>On Friday, I was just setting off to have lunch with Usagi and the others when I felt a nudge, and turned to see Junko holding a paper out towards me, and looking at me with a none too friendly expression on her face.<p>

"Osaka-san?" she said. "Mizuno-san asked me to give you this."

"Th… thank you," I said, too startled to do more than make a little bow.

"Just a quick word," she said. "I don't know what you've done to Mizuno-san, but I'd steer clear of her in future if I were you. She's a valuable asset to us, and we're not going to forgive you if you damage her."

I assumed an expressionless face as Junko walked away; I didn't want to make myself vulnerable by showing my feelings. I knew she had not been trying to hurt me, just to put me in my place a little; but even so, I didn't want her to think she had any power over me.

Once she had gone, I opened the note from Ami. "_I've heard from Kenji-san_," it read. "_The police are keeping watch on Minako's chauffeur, and he has not met with anyone unknown or suspicious since the incident. It looks as though her attackers are lying low at the moment, as we predicted._"

I smiled as I scrunched the note up and carefully buried it deep inside the wastepaper basket. It was good of Ami to keep in touch. True, she could have given me the news herself; but I didn't want to read too much into that. After our argument at the arcade, she had reason to be unsure about my feelings towards her. Ah, Ami-chan, if only you knew….

* * *

><p>That afternoon, I met Usagi as usual outside the school gates.<p>

"I'm sorry," I said. "I can't walk home with you today."

"Why ever not?"

I held up a disk. "Ami-chan left this in the computer room. I think it's important – so I'm going to go and give it back to her."

Usagi considered. "She goes to the Crystal Seminar cram school on Fridays, doesn't she?"

"Yes."

"That's a fair way to go, just to give her a disk."

"I don't mind."

Usagi smiled. "Well, then, I'll come with you."

And so we set off together. We didn't talk; we were just enjoying the feeling of being together, taking a break from our usual routine and heading into new territory. And yet – something had changed. There was something about the silence that was not quite like before; an air of words left unsaid. And I was fairly sure I knew what they were. We hadn't talked about Ami much since she stopped eating with us, but of course Usagi was worried about her. It was a sign that our relationship was changing, so gradually that I had not noticed before now. Ami had become part of our group, and her absence left an uncomfortable gap. I couldn't be jealous that Usagi wasn't happy with just me for company; it wasn't about which of us she preferred; just that we had felt a new sense of completeness when it was the three of us together.

Well, it would be the three of us together again soon, I was sure of that.

The Crystal Seminar turned out to be a tall modern building, its front façade an imposing wall of dark blue glass. Next to the door was a noticeboard listing the times of classes, and Usagi glanced over this while I tried the door.

"It's locked," I said.

"How are we going to get in?"

"You'll need to start studying harder if you ever want to get in here," a voice cut in.

We both looked round. A young man stood near us, tall and thin, smartly dressed in a suit with a black jacket. Sunglasses masked his eyes, and yet I could not help feeling there was something familiar about him, even though I had no idea where I might have seen him before.

"How rude!" said Usagi, sticking out her tongue. "It's none of your business anyway."

"Just thought I'd give you a friendly word of advice. Well, so long, dumpling head."

He smirked as he sauntered casually past us, and we both stared after him as he receded into the distance.

"What an unpleasant person!" said Usagi. "He's quite put me out of my good mood."

"Just goes to show you can't tell what someone's like by their looks," I said.

She stared at me. "What, you thought he was handsome?"

"Just a little. Didn't you?"

"No, I did _not_!" she retorted. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about him."

"Will you wait here while I give the disk to Ami-chan?" I said. We had to separate so that she would be free to transform into Sailor Moon when the time came, and this seemed the easiest way.

"All right," she said. I walked back over to the door, and pressed the button next to the speaking-tube. I stated my name and my business, and a few seconds later the door opened.

I found myself in a spacious lobby, with a floor of dark tiles; looking into them was like having an ocean beneath my feet, a dead and silent ocean with no movement of its waves. All I saw in its depths was the flickering of soft yellow lights, like creatures on the seabed signalling to each other, but they were really the reflections of the lamps in the distant ceiling. Spaced around the fringes of the room were white marble pillars, enormously thick, as they had to be to hold up the ceiling without the support of a central wall. And it was all empty, except for an arc of polished stone separating off the reception desk; but there was no-one there.

The only sound in the room came from the motion of an escalator at the far end, so I got into it and went up. My feeling of apprehension grew stronger as the lobby shrunk away below me. Even if there had been nothing more at stake, it was terrifying to be alone in a place like this, a fortress of geniuses where at any moment someone might come out and denounce me, an intruder who had no place among them.

But I met no-one, and after five minutes of wandering through the corridors on the upper floor, I was still no closer to knowing which classroom to find Ami in. I had, however, seen a girls' toilet, so I disappeared into this, transformed, and summoned Thetis.

"I am here, Mistress," she said, stepping out through the mirror.

I sighed. "Honestly, what is it with you and mirrors?"

She grinned. "I find them easier than doors: no need to waste time opening them."

"Let's not argue. Do you know where Jadeite is?"

"Right now? He's keeping watch outside the classroom to make sure that Mizuno Ami doesn't get away."

I almost jumped out of my skin. "You mean the monster's in there _now_?"

I clenched a fist. I should have guessed something was up. _That_ was why the place was so silent. Jadeite had already drained the receptionist (and how many other people?) to make sure there would be no interference. Either I'd lost track of time as we'd walked up together, or else Jadeite, with his typical arrogance, had simply ignored the time we'd agreed on.

But I wasn't going to let him have everything his own way. I got Thetis to fetch Luna, and asked Luna to find Usagi and tell her to transform. "And she must take special care to protect Mizuno Ami," I added. "I can sense a strange energy coming from that girl. She could be the next sailor warrior."

"Where will I find Usagi?" said Luna.

"On the street outside the front entrance," said Thetis. "The quickest way to get to her will be the gate that leads directly to the street from the courtyard. I've left it open for you."

Luna immediately scampered off. "Let's get going," I said to Thetis.

We hurried through the corridors; she seemed to know where she was going. Very soon, I began to hear sounds coming from ahead of us: bumps like someone knocking against furniture, and then a crash as though something heavy had fallen over. I hastened my step.

Then came a cry, a growl, and the swish of a sharp blade cutting through the air. We were just outside the room now. I hesitated.

"What do we do?" I whispered to Thetis. "I can't just burst in!"

"I told you that you should have thought this through more carefully," she said with infuriating calm.

"If I could just see what's going on…."

"Why not go round and look through the window? This next classroom's empty."

"You could have thought of that sooner!" But there was no time to get angry. I rushed into the adjacent classroom, and used the Pen to unlock the door leading out to the balcony beyond. This was a long platform that ran right along the width of the inner courtyard, with stairs at both ends. I crouched below the window and looked into the room where Ami was.

The other students, and the teacher, lay slumped at their desks or on the floor, their energy drained. I had put a charm on Ami so the drain would not work on her, and she was dodging back as the monster approached her; there was fear in her eyes, but also defiance, and a sense of anger bubbling up under the surface. And the monster striding towards her was huge and grotesque, with carmine skin and a bush of spiky black hair, and an axe-blade at the end of its right arm where the hand should have been. It snarled with rage as it swung the axe towards Ami, again and again; and each time she dodged back.

I held my breath and collected my thoughts. It would be all right, after all. I was here now, and I had the Pen. But I could not do anything if Ami slipped and allowed the axe to strike her, so I hastily wrote a line saying that it would harmlessly bounce off her. I had to have that proviso just in case, but other than that, the battle had to be for real – a chance to give Ami a taste of what being a sailor warrior was like; a chance to show her that the feeling of triumph in the end made the struggle of getting there worthwhile.

Ami dodged to the side, and the monster turned to keep her in sight. She made her way across the back wall of the room, stepping sideways with her hands pressed tight against the wall. The monster lunged again – and missed. Ami reached the door leading out to the balcony, and there she stopped.

"Got nowhere left to run, have you?" the monster growled. It swung its axe towards Ami's head – and she ducked, crouching beneath the blade as it went deep into the wood of the door. At once the purpose of her manoeuvres became clear. She slipped beneath the monster's arm and ran across to the other side of the room while it was still tugging its axe free; at last it heaved its body into the door to gain some leverage, and the door burst clear from its frame and fell outwards into the courtyard, knocking a section out of the balcony railing as it fell. The monster roared with anger and turned to face Ami. She was dodging behind the desks in the opposite corner, trying to get the monster to come towards her. The way to freedom was now open, but the monster was between her and the door.

They stood facing each other, unmoving, for a minute or two; and then the stillness of the air was broken by a mighty crash as the room's main door burst inwards and smashed itself against the wall with a bang that shook the room like a blender. There in the doorway stood Sailor Moon, dramatically posing, while Luna slipped in silently beside her.

"I can't forgive anyone who interferes with the sacred pursuit of knowledge," she declaimed. "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

"Good evening, Tsukino-san," Ami said with a polite little smile.

Usagi's mouth fell open. "You… you know who I am!"

"You're a bit late, Tsukino-san," said Ami. "I was just about to finish off the monster without your help."

"Don't be silly, Ami-chan. This is a job for Sailor Moon. Look out!"

Now that the second door was open, the monster must have realised that Ami could escape any time she chose; so it took the chance, while she was distracted by Usagi's entrance, to creep steadily closer. Suddenly it lunged, and Ami threw herself back out of reach of its axe. Usagi threw her tiara at it, but I wanted this to be Ami's test, so I had made this monster as well immune to the tiara. It fell onto the monster's shoulder and lay there, its tip curled around the beast's thick neck, doing it no harm whatever.

The monster turned and struck out at Usagi, but was interrupted as Ami leapt forward and punched it in the chest; then she ducked out of its reach as it shoved an elbow at her.

"Ami-chan, what are you doing?" Usagi cried.

"I'm putting myself in danger," she said. "Isn't that what you want – to step in and rescue me, so that I can thank you for saving my life?"

"No, Ami-chan, it's not like that…."

But Ami was no longer listening; all her attention was focused on the monster as she retreated and it edged towards her, moving first to one side and then the other, making sure she would not have the opportunity to slip past it. At the last second, Ami turned and ran the other way, to the empty frame where the door to the balcony had been, and outside. I slipped back out of sight, hiding in an alcove in the wall.

But Ami never looked round; she was still focused on the classroom. I wondered for a second why she didn't just run along the balcony so she could get down to the courtyard and escape; but then I understood. She had no intention of leaving Usagi alone with the monster, not so long as there was still something she could do.

Thundering footsteps came from the room, and I knew that the monster was charging towards Ami. She backed away, carefully; she knew the balcony railing was broken behind her and she knew just how far she could go. Then, as the monster appeared in the doorway and leapt towards her, she gripped the railing to one side and used it as a lever to swing herself out of the monster's way. It dug its heels into the ground and skidded desperately to a halt; but too late. A kick from Ami tripped it, and for a moment it seemed to hang suspended in the air; then only a second later there came a ghastly thud as it broke against the ground below.

Ami lifted herself up and stood there, gazing down on its ruins, breathing heavily as the expression on her face changed slowly from relief to a grin of satisfaction. And I grinned too; my plan had worked perfectly. I knew that once Ami had experienced the thrill of battle for herself, she would understand what it meant to Usagi, and maybe she would feel that I was not as crazy as she had thought in creating this destiny for my friend. Maybe there was still a chance that I could get them to fight alongside each other; and maybe, eventually, Ami would come to forgive me and we could all be friends together….

My daydreaming was interrupted by a voice I knew only too well.

"Very clever," said Jadeite. "But not clever enough."

And he stepped up behind Ami and gave her one short, sharp shove.


	21. Book I Ch 20 Friends in High Places

**(o)**

**20  
>Friends in High Places<strong>

Usagi was through the door in an instant. Ami teetered for a moment on the edge of the balcony and then fell; and a second later Usagi was kneeling on the edge, clutching onto Ami's wrist with both hands as she dangled below the balcony, swinging perilously in the breeze.

I froze. I was too shocked to move, too shocked even to cry out. I just stayed curled up in my hiding-place in the alcove, staring out across the space where Ami had just been.

Then I started to breathe again, and the rhythm of my breath made me suddenly aware that time was still passing. _I've got to do something_, I told myself. _I've got to help Ami –_

Thetis laid a restraining hand on my shoulder.

"You see," she said softly, "characters have a way of taking you by surprise, don't they?"

Jadeite stood close by, watching with a grim smile. "I never thought it would be this easy to kill you," he said, and he stepped closer.

"Sailor Moon!" Ami cried. "Just… just let go of me so you can fight!"

"Never!" Usagi retorted fiercely – though she was gritting her teeth and screwing up her face to fight back the pain.

"I'll be all right. Just let me go."

It was a brave thing to say, for even though she had less far to fall now she was dangling below the balcony, the ground was still a long way below. The fall was unlikely to kill her, but it would certainly have hurt. Usagi, however, was having none of it.

"Just hold still and I'll heave you up," she said. "Ready now? _Heave!_"

And she closed her eyes, tightened her grip on Ami's arm, and pulled with all her might.

"All right, playtime's over," said Jadeite. "_Jade L–_"

He stopped as Tuxedo Mask's cane struck him from behind.

"_You again!_"

"I cannot forgive someone who does not respect the value of friendship."

"You know, you have some serious anger management issues," said Jadeite. "Ever thought about seeing a therapist?"

"Anger gives me the strength to fight," said Mamoru; and he stepped forward with his cane held in front of him, ready to strike.

Jadeite snarled and grabbed a baluster from the broken balcony. He lashed out at Mamoru, who blocked with his cane; and soon the two of them were trading blows, parries and counterstrokes too fast for me to see what was going on. Usagi breathed heavily as she strained to recover her strength before trying again to haul Ami up.

"I've got to help her," I whispered.

But Thetis was still holding me back. "No," she said calmly.

"What?" I hissed at her. "Why?"

"Would that not ruin things? Everything that we've done would be for nothing."

"And you of all people tell me to think like that! I thought you didn't care."

Thetis fixed me with an enigmatic smile. "I may not agree with the type of story you have chosen to create," she said, "but I think we can all agree that it rarely makes a good story to embark on one plot and then abandon it partway through."

I clenched my fists. "Thetis, that was just a metaphor. Story or no story, those are my friends out there!"

"But is it just a metaphor? You respond to stories in the way you do because part of you thinks of them as having a kind of reality. Why shouldn't it work the other way round as well? You enjoy danger in a story. Do you think people cannot enjoy it in real life?"

I took a deep breath, and looked round. Usagi panted as she strained with all her might to lift Ami. "I… I can't do it," she said. "I'm sorry, Ami-chan! I'm not strong enough for this…."

"Don't strain yourself," said Ami. "Just relax. That man who appeared just now –"

"Tuxedo Mask."

"He's on our side, right?"

"Yes."

"Then he will help you. Just hang on until he's done with his fight."

Usagi sighed and settled back into a more stable position, but tears were in her eyes as she clung on to Ami's arm.

"You know, I don't think they're enjoying it," I said to Thetis.

"If you interrupt them now, you will never find out what they might have done unaided," she answered. "A test of character, if you like. I will not say for whom."

I bit into my lip, and turned to watch the battle between Jadeite and Mamoru. It was more even than I had expected: Mamoru had a better weapon, but Jadeite seemed the more agile and aware of the two. He was repeatedly dodging and fading back, trying to gain enough space to use his Jade Laser attack, and Mamoru had to keep up a flurry of blows to deny him. But he could not go on for ever; already he was beginning to tire.

I was not the only one who had noticed this. "Sailor Moon!" Ami said. "You… you care about that man, don't you?"

Usagi just nodded.

"He needs you," said Ami. "Just let go of me. Please."

"I can't do that, Ami-chan!"

"But… Tuxedo Mask…."

"Not even for him," Usagi said firmly.

"Usagi-chan!" Ami cried. "We've got to do something."

Usagi tried again to heave Ami up, but it was no good. "What can we do?"

"Is there anyone else you could call for help?"

"Naru-chan's in the building, but she wouldn't be able to hear us… and there's Luna, but she couldn't do anything."

"Who's Luna?"

"My sidekick. She's a cat."

"What, you have a _talking cat_?" Ami sounded almost amused.

Usagi smiled. "I'll call her if you like. Hey, Luna!"

The cat slithered through the doorway and peered down towards Ami.

"Luna-san," Ami said, "would you be so kind as to go into the classroom and see if you can find a long rod or pole or something like that?"

Luna twitched her whiskers to show assent and disappeared. Soon after, there came the crash of a heavy object falling over, and a steady series of thumps as Luna manoeuvred the pole as best she could towards the door.

"Thank you very much, Luna," Ami said when she had got it outside. "Now, could you pass one end down to me?"

Luna gripped the pole and twisted it until it pointed straight outwards, and then very carefully edged it forwards until the centre of gravity was just over the edge. Slowly, the pole tilted and then fell, and Ami reached up and grabbed the end with her free hand, while Luna jumped on the other end and pulled it back to stop the whole thing falling out into the air. Ami gradually relaxed her grip until the pole started to slide through her hand; then she caught it tightly at its middle. "Let go, Luna!" she said. Luna let go, and she turned it and pushed it in between two of the balusters. Luna got the idea at once, and pounced on the free end, levering Ami upwards. She writhed so that the lower end of the pole was below her, supporting her weight; and suddenly Usagi found that she was able to pull Ami up after all.

And then they collapsed side by side on the balcony, panting together as they recovered, while Ami shook her arm to ease the intense pain. "Thank you, Sailor Moon; thanks, Luna," she said. "I knew you could do it!"

"Ami-chan, I'm so glad you're safe!" Usagi wept. "But I'm out of strength… my arms are so sore…."

"It's all right," said Ami. "You can rest now. It's my turn to fight. Isn't that right, Luna? I am the second sailor warrior."

"Luna?" Usagi cried in astonishment. "You knew about this?"

Luna coughed delicately. "I did not want to tell you until I was sure," she said. "But yes, Ami-chan is Sailor Mercury!"

"Wh… what's going on?" I said to Thetis. "I thought she didn't want to do this!"

"Do you really have so little confidence in your own ability?" said Thetis. "I forgot to say just now – a writer may be surprised by what his characters do at any moment, but the overall direction a character will take can be predicted."

"She said she would have nothing to do with it. She was horrified that I was creating monsters…."

"Maybe," Thetis said with a wry smile, "she thinks that there will be less worry of the monsters being a threat to civilisation, if she is there to help fight them."

And I watched as Ami held up an arm and incanted, "_Mercury Power Makeup!_"

As she said the last word, the floor around her sparkled with a dazzling array of reflected light, and streams of bubbles fountained up all around her, rising to a crest and then merging as they fell into sheets of water that solidified, fell back against her and billowed out as they became her clothes: a costume like Sailor Moon's, but all in shades of blue. She wore a sky-blue miniskirt and collar, with choker and boots in a dull azure, and a cyan ribbon across her front. Her tiara was golden, and the stone in the centre was an ice-cold blue topaz.

Jadeite and Mamoru fell apart, distracted for a moment by Ami's cry. She turned to face them and cried out, "_Bubble Spray!_"

A stream of bubbles blasted from her outstretched hand and struck Jadeite; and where they hit him, the stream erupted out in all directions, until both Jadeite and Mamoru were hidden in a haze like a thick grey mist.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Ami cried; and Usagi leapt to her feet and threw her tiara into the haze at the spot where Jadeite had last been seen. There came a cry of pain and then a thud as Mamoru, locating him by the sound, struck at him as well.

"This won't be the last time we meet, sailor warriors!" Jadeite roared; and by the time the mist had begun to clear, he was gone.

Mamoru turned and bowed to the two sailor warriors. "Thank you, Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury," he said; and he leapt up onto the roof of the building and ran out of sight.

The two girls watched until he disappeared, and then slowly turned to face each other. Ami was grinning with relief, and Usagi smiled when she saw Ami smiling, and then they both threw their arms around each other and sobbed for a long time.

"What happens now?" Ami said when they broke apart at last.

"The others will wake up in a few moments," said Usagi. "You can change back and finish your class, if you like."

"No, I think I'll leave it for today. Let's walk home together."

"Really?" said Usagi, her face beaming. "Ami-chan, I'm so glad you're a sailor warrior."

"I'm glad too," said Ami. "I'm looking forward to fighting together."

"Shall we go, then?"

"I've got to collect my things. Can you wait for me outside?"

Usagi nodded and hurried off. But Ami did not return to the classroom. She just stood still with her arms folded, and I didn't realise why until a minute later she called out, "You can come out now, you know."

Sheepishly, I emerged and stood awkwardly before her. I wasn't sure whether I should bow or grovel, and I almost wished I could summon the courage to rush forward and throw my arms around her. Instead I just mumbled, "You… you knew I was there all along, then?"

"I could see you from where I was," said Ami. "I hesitate to ask, but – how much of that was part of the plan?"

"None of it," I said. "I thought you and Usagi would fight the monster inside the classroom. I…." I shook my head. "I can't use that as an excuse. I was putting you in danger, and I had no right. Ami-chan, I'm sorry."

Thetis coughed.

"There was in fact no danger," she said. "If you had fallen at any time, I would have used my powers to save you."

I swivelled round and stared at her. "You can _do_ that?"

"Certainly. I have power over water, as you know. I could have made water come out from the ground and slow Ami's fall."

There was a pause as I absorbed this. "But that makes no difference!" I said. "I still _thought_ I was putting Ami in danger, so it's still my fault!"

Ami gently touched my shoulder. "It was more my fault than yours," she said. "If I hadn't been showing off, we would have stayed in the room as you intended."

"But…."

She shook her head and smiled. "Don't worry about it, Naru-chan," she said.

I couldn't help sobbing a little. I couldn't believe this was all ending happily – I certainly didn't feel that I deserved it.

"But what you said to me at the arcade…."

Ami grimaced. "Please forget that," she said. "I was wrong. Now that I've seen Sailor Moon in action, there's something I didn't understand before. All of this really matters to her. So much that now that I know about it, I couldn't be a real friend to her without being part of it. You were quite right about that."

"Was I?" I said. "I'm not sure. But you were right as well, Ami-chan. I was crazy to go ahead without thinking about the consequences, and I don't know where it's all going to end."

"Don't you?" said Ami. "But at least we can work on that together now, can't we?"

I looked at her in surprise, and she looked hopefully back at me, and we both smiled; and something clicked, and we burst out laughing together, and just like Usagi and Ami had done, we threw our arms round each other and cried for a long time.

"But, Ami-chan," I said at last, "isn't this going to interfere with your study?"

"Even my mother says that one should devote a little time to having friends," she said. "Just don't schedule a battle when I have an important exam, all right?"

"If you let me know when they are, I'll make sure of it," I laughed.

"See you on Monday, then!"

We waved goodbye to each other and I watched her walk away, feeling that, whatever happened from here, it would be much easier to get through it now that I had Ami on my side.


	22. Book I Ch 21 Careless Talk Costs Lives

**(o)**

**21  
>Careless Talk Costs Lives<br>**

When Monday came, I arrived at school and sat down as usual, mildly surprised that Ami was not there yet, as she could normally be relied on to arrive first of all. Soon afterwards, the door burst open and Usagi made her usual dramatic entrance, skidding to a halt and shouting out "Good morning!" to the room in general; and the class, who were used to this, waved back and returned the greeting.

Then, just as they were all looking away again, there came another cry of "Good morning!" from the doorway; and this time everyone really did look round in astonishment, for the speaker was Ami. She never shouted out like that; indeed she was so shy that most of my classmates had probably never _spoken_ to her before. I am sure that many of them wondered for a moment if an impostor had come into the room; not only was she waving and beaming at everyone as if they were all old friends, but her hair was highlighted in a deep shade of blue!

"What do you think?" she said as we left the room and started to walk to our English lesson. "I feel this colour suits me…."

"It's very striking," I said. "But, Ami-chan, you didn't have to go that far just to fit in…."

"Oh, no, it's not about that," she laughed. "Actually, I've always wanted to do this; I just never had the courage to go ahead with it before."

I smiled. "So maybe being Sailor Mercury is doing you some good after all."

She laughed. "If that's your way of saying 'I told you so'…."

"Not at all, I wouldn't dream of taking the credit. If anything, I'd say it's Usagi's cheerfulness rubbing off on you."

"Then I'm very glad you helped us to become friends."

I grinned as we came to the door, remembering how only a few weeks earlier it had been an object of such mystery and terror. So much had changed since then: not just mystery making way to familiarity, but also a sense that Ami and I were allies now, no matter what perils there might be lying in wait for us.

"Say, Ami-chan," I said, "now that we're friends, why don't we go shopping together on Saturday?"

She shot me a quizzical glance. "Shopping?"

"You must know what shopping is!" I laughed.

"Of course – but it seems like a strange thing to suggest doing together. What do you want to buy?"

"Oh, no," I said. "I don't want to buy anything. Just shopping – going round the mall, looking at stuff, and who knows, maybe you'll see something that you can't resist. But mainly it's just about enjoying being together." I stopped as I saw the blank look on her face. "You've really never done this before, have you?"

"I've… read about it."

I took a deep breath. "Just you wait, Ami-chan! You'll love it!"

"I'm sure I will," she replied.

* * *

><p>I spent the rest of the week impatient for Saturday to come. I felt a bit guilty about not inviting Usagi to join us, though I had explained to her that I wanted to take Ami out this once, and we could go out as a group another time, and she seemed happy enough with that. My real reason, of course, was that I had a lot to talk about with Ami, much more than we could get through in the limited time we had together at school. At least, we didn't get much time together by ourselves. But she was eating her lunches with us again, and the others all got on well with her now; only Kuri still seemed a little apprehensive of her.<p>

On Saturday, I was up early, and dressed in my best clothes, a smart pink jacket and skirt, a white blouse and neat brown shoes. I spent a few minutes arranging my hair and frowning at myself in the mirror; then I decided that Ami was unlikely to care too much about how I looked, and I may as well leave it.

I caught the train at Tamachi station, and soon afterwards arrived at Harajuku. Ami was waiting for me, dressed in a cream cardigan over a sky-blue minidress. She was without her glasses, and her hair was smoother and more wavy than usual, and yet that small change was enough to make her appear almost like a different person. The demure and barely visible Ami was gone, and the girl who was now waving at me was full of life and energy and confidence – so much so that I almost felt diminished by comparison.

Our quarrel of the week before was now long forgotten; we linked arms and set off down Takeshita Street with the ease and comfort of friends who have known each other all their lives.

"Have you seen the latest news about Minako?" Ami said.

"No?"

"Her manager made a public statement to say that she's recovering well, and her next scheduled event, an appearance on a cruise at the end of this month, will go ahead as planned."

"So the public believe that she's still in hospital – and your mother's okay with that?"

Ami smiled. "Kenji-san came to see her about it, and she understands that it's necessary. Besides, we don't have the crowds blocking the entrance any more, now the first excitement has died down. And Minako comes in regularly to sing to the patients in the children's ward and share out the flowers people are sending her, so in the end everyone's happy."

"That's good," I said. "But this cruise – she can't seriously mean to go ahead with it, with those murderers still at large?"

Ami grimaced. "She's young, and I think that, even after everything that's happened, she still has a badly underdeveloped sense of danger."

"Then they'll surely plan to attack her on the cruise."

"Yes," said Ami, "but we'll be ready for them. We still have two weeks to prepare."

I nodded, and for a while I forgot my worries about Minako as I took Ami round the shops. We went first into a clothes shop, and I tried on a smart orange dress that Ami said was too severe and businesswomanlike for me; while I had to tear her away from a pale green dress that, I am sure, if the boys at school had seen her trying it on, would have got her so much attention that she would have found it hard to concentrate on her studies.

"Why, Ami-chan!" I laughed. "I feel like I'm seeing a completely different side of you!"

After that we went into toyshops, jewellery stores, bric-a-brac stores, and even, at Ami's insistence, a bookshop. A new shop selling clocks and watches drew my attention, and I studied the display and picked out an alarm clock as a present for Usagi. "Perhaps it will help her get to school on time," I said as I stowed it in my handbag; though I already had half an idea for how I could use it to set up Sailor Moon's next battle.

By then I was very hungry, and Ami was happy to fall in with my suggestion of going to a café for cakes and milkshakes. As we ate, I finally explained to her everything I had not yet had time to tell her: the story of Sailor Moon's adventures so far, the origin of Tuxedo Mask, and how I had already had to start escalating the battles, making the monsters invulnerable to Sailor Moon's first attack, so that they could be a threat but not too much of one. "And I'm worried," I said. "Jadeite's too unpredictable; the more power I give him, the less sure I am that I can handle him. So I don't know where it's all going to end. What do you think, Ami-chan?"

She stared down into the ripples on the surface of her milkshake. "I think," she said carefully, "the real problem is that your story lacks a sense of anagnorisis."

"Of _what?_"

"Anagnorisis. It means 'recognition' – of what a person really is, of what their story stands for. The stories that really make a lasting impression on you are the ones that make you realise something new about yourself that you never knew before."

"I already have that," I said. "It's about helping Usagi discover her inner strength…."

"That's not enough," Ami said quickly. "Everyone has inner strength, if they know where to look for it. A true anagnorisis must be something that _changes_ the nature of a person's identity."

I stared at her. "But how do I arrange something like that?"

Ami took a long sip from her milkshake before replying. "You'll need to look at the loose ends you have and see what might tie them together."

"Loose ends?" I said, a little hurt.

"Yes. For a start, why is Jadeite creating monsters and stealing people's energy?"

"Well, I told him that human energy is needed for the revival of the Dark Kingdom."

"Revival?" said Ami. "So – they've been alive before?"

I screwed up my face. "It seems so obvious, when you put it like that."

"Well, you had no reason to think about what it really means before," Ami said gently. "So, what happened? Who were they, and how were they defeated the first time?"

I looked at her blankly. "Well… how am I supposed to know?"

Ami just blinked. "You're the writer. You can say whatever comes into your head – and then decide afterwards which of your ideas is the truth."

I slowly shook my head. "But it feels like such a responsibility, now it's already started to become real. How can I just decide on the spur of the moment?"

Ami smiled at me. "I'll let you know if I think anything you say wouldn't work," she said. "So, come on, why don't you try me out?"

"Oh, very well," I said, and sipped my drink as I considered. "The Dark Kingdom was an evil organisation that existed – let's say a thousand years ago, when there was more magic in the world than there is now."

"Good start," said Ami. "Go on."

Encouraged by her approval, I began to speak more rapidly. "They were defeated and sealed away, and now Queen Beryl (that's what I call myself when I command Jadeite, by the way) is trying to revive them."

"Yes, I like it," Ami said thoughtfully. "But how is that connected to Sailor Moon?"

"Well… she is the one who's destined to fight against them, because she was chosen by the spirit of the warrior who originally sealed the Dark Kingdom away."

"Perfect!"

"And," I went on, speaking ideas that I had not known I had before they appeared on my lips, "that must mean she has – or is destined to find – whatever it was that was used to seal them, and when she learns about this and learns to use it, she'll be able to defeat them once and for all." I felt very satisfied as I said that; I couldn't yet foresee everything I wanted to do with the story, but I knew that it would have to come to a definite end at some point, so as not to take over the rest of Usagi's life. And after that – who knows?

"And what is this thing?" said Ami. "Some kind of magical artefact?"

"A crystal," I said at once. Part of me knew I was being horribly cliché, but I had grown up associating crystals and jewels with a sense of awe and mystery, and for something like this, nothing else would do for me. "How about – the Legendary Silver Crystal of Queen Serenity?"

Ami blinked. "I suppose every writer has their own individual style," she said. "So – tell me about this crystal. What does it look like? What can it do?"

I drained my glass and took a moment to compose my thoughts before replying. "The Silver Crystal," I said, "comes originally from the moon, and is of a type of mineral never found on earth, which makes it valuable beyond price. It's the size of a clenched fist, but very light; it's silver-grey in colour, but when the white light of the moon shines directly onto it, it's as though it glows from the inside with its own light, so that you see through its myriad facets into a miniature world inside, a palace of mirrors draped with strings of microscopic lights."

Ami gazed at me with her mouth open, her eyes shining. I grinned. "As for what it can do," I said, "some say that in the hands of the one destined to use it, it can grant any wish – but who knows whether that's true? What is known is that just touching it can give you spiritual energy that will make your wounds heal, and if you hold it and gaze deeply into it, it brings you a feeling of peace and tranquillity like nothing you've known before on this earth."

"Splendid!" said Ami. "Naru-chan, you have a real gift for words, do you know that?"

I blushed. "I'm glad you like it, Ami-chan."

"Yes, it's perfect."

I took a long breath of deep satisfaction. "Let's go, then," I said. "It's been a great day!"

"I'm really glad – and happy that I was able to help."

We paid for our drinks and went out together. I did not notice that two men were sitting at a table in the corner, watching us as we left. Or one man and a youth, really, for one of them was no older than sixteen. He sat cross-legged in his seat, staring out at the world with an impatient frown, as though he was disappointed at how dull it was. The older man, meanwhile, leant back against the wall with majestic calm, smiling gently as he regarded his companion with a tender look in his eyes, a look of wisdom, as well as forgiveness towards one whose youthful follies are part of his charm.

After we had gone, the younger man turned to the elder and said, "Did you hear that, Kunzite-sama?"


	23. Book I Ch 22 Rei, a Drop of Golden Sun

**(o)**

**22  
>Rei, a Drop of Golden Sun<strong>

The next adventure was a success. That night, I got Jadeite to make Usagi's clock turn into a time-themed monster, and the next day, the two sailor warriors defeated it. They worked well as a team, I felt; Ami's cool-headed strategy was a nice counterbalance to Usagi's vigour and resolve. True, Tuxedo Mask had to appear and help them out once more, but that was hardly a bad thing. Usagi seemed to be almost hypnotised by his air of mystery and intrigue.

So I was in a good mood when I arrived home, and my only reaction when my mother told me I had a visitor was one of mild surprise.

"A visitor?" I said.

"Yes, she said she was a friend of yours. She's waiting in your room."

I went upstairs in deep perplexity. Who could be calling at this time? – for it was already late into the evening. It was not like my mother to be secretive, so if it was someone she knew, she would have said so. But she knew all of my friends except Ami, and it certainly wasn't Ami, as I'd just left her, and she would have walked back with me if she'd wanted to visit my home.

My door stood open, and my visitor was waiting inside, seated on the floor in an elegant pose, as still as a mannequin. As soon as I entered she stood up and bowed, politely but coldly.

My mouth fell open. I had certainly not expected someone like this; indeed, until then I had doubted whether such people really existed, except in the pages of fashion magazines where the pictures are carefully Photoshopped to remove every imperfection. She was, quite simply, more beautiful than any human has a right to be; she looked like a princess from a fairy tale. She was about my age, but taller – only a little taller, yet her poise and the way she held her head made her seem to tower above me. She had straight black hair that swept down to her hips in a broad river, its waves throwing the light around like a storm-tossed boat; her oval face was as finely shaped as a gemstone, her nose small and pointed, her cheeks smooth and round. And her eyes, shadowed by spikes of black lashes, were not the cold marbled blue of mine or Usagi's or Ami's, but a deep cobalt blue that made it impossible to guess what dark fires might blaze behind them. Her clothes were plainer, but they were smart and tidy and she wore them well: a school uniform consisting of a cool grey waistcoat over a white T-shirt, with a darker grey collar and skirt, and a red bow across the front. I stood, disconcerted and ill at ease; I was simply had no idea how to respond to such a person.

"So, you are Osaka Naru-san," she said. "Good evening."

"G… good evening! I'm sorry, but I don't know…."

"My name is Hino Rei. Ah, I see you know that name. I want to know why you're trying to steal my boyfriend."

"Trying to steal – !"

"Oh yes," she said. "You can't deny it now. Your body language is much too eloquent."

"How did you find me?" I blurted out.

"The sacred fire showed me your face. It took a while to track you down, but my friend Sakura knows your classmate Junko, and she recognised you from my description at once."

I grimaced. "Let's sit down and talk about this," I said, trying to give myself a little more time to think.

"Sure," said Rei, sliding back to give me space. I sat, uneasily; my eyes were constantly drawn towards her, and yet whenever I looked at her, I felt a sense of shame and inadequacy that made me look away again. It was her calmness that hurt more than anything else; she didn't need to make her point by getting angry, and that meant I had to find an equally calm and measured response – which was a difficult task, since part of me knew I had gone too far. (The other part of me also knew this but was telling the first part to be quiet about it.)

"So," Rei said after we had been silent for a while, "what is this all about?"

"I have a friend, Tsukino Usagi," I said slowly. (How was I going to make this make sense without revealing too much?) "And… I think she and Mamoru are just meant to be together."

"And why is that?"

I screwed up my face; it suddenly hit me that I couldn't even tell her about the database without letting her know too much about the Pen. "Let's just say I have… well, a kind of psychic gift for these things," I said. "If you like, I could find out who is the right person for you as well, so you can have a happy ending too…."

She stared across at me. "You expect me to believe this rubbish?"

"It's true," I said. "But if you won't believe me – I'm afraid you give me no choice." I took out the Pen, breathing heavily, because part of me was now telling the other part that what I was about to do was _really_ wrong. But I had to do it; I couldn't let Rei disrupt all my plans and everything I'd worked so hard to achieve. Besides, the other part kept insisting, I really did intend to atone for this by helping Rei to find happiness as well. Did that make everything all right? I didn't know and didn't want to. I'd make it work. The Pen flashed between my fingers.

Rei started moving her hands in a rapid series of gestures, like making a cat's cradle without the string. "_Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen!_" she chanted.

The Pen came to a sudden halt, and simply refused to move when I tried to push it further. "You… you've broken it!" I cried.

"No, it will still work," said Rei. "Just not on me."

I glared at her as I allowed the Pen to slip from my grasp. "So, what is that exactly?" said Rei. "A magic pen? You write with it, and whatever you write comes true?"

"Something like that," I said. I knew I was defeated and there was no point in trying to deceive her any longer.

"And what exactly have you done with Mamoru? I've seen him disappear into thin air while we've been together. You must be a fool, to think you could do that without me noticing."

There was nothing else to do, so I explained about the enchantment I had placed on Mamoru, and how he had to vanish and come to Usagi's rescue whenever she was in danger.

"Well then, take the enchantment off him," Rei said coldly.

"It's… not as simple as that," I said. After all, she couldn't possibly know the limits of the Pen's power, could she? Maybe I could still bluff her. "It's easy to put an enchantment on someone, but not so easy to take one off. It could break his mind if I tried."

"Then you'll just have to stop putting Usagi in danger, and then the enchantment will have no effect."

"But I can't do that!" I cried.

Rei looked at me with something like pity in her eyes. "But why?" she said quietly. "Why is this so important to you?"

I took a deep breath to steady myself. Rei was giving me a chance to explain, and I couldn't afford to waste it. "It's about making her stronger," I said. "It's about letting her live out her beautiful dreams. Everyone dreams of having adventures and being the hero and saving their friends from danger. It's about making that real."

"But it's not real," said Rei. "You're still making the whole thing up. There's no real danger, if you can take it away as easily as you create it. There's no evil power trying to take over the world – or whatever silly thing it is you're pretending."

"It's real to her," I insisted. "Isn't that what matters? I don't see how it's less real than anything else around us; after all, for all we know, _everything_ we see might be put into our minds by some god or spirit or something."

Rei smiled. "It's easy for you to talk about spirits," she said. "I _know_ them. I've seen their world. I know what lies behind the things we see."

I was taken aback, but I pressed on. "Even so, how can you be sure that's all there is? Maybe there's another layer, hidden even from you."

"Well, maybe… but I don't see the point in speculating about such things."

"That's exactly what I mean," I said. "We _don't_ spend our lives thinking about what lies behind the things we see. To us, they _are_ reality."

Rei shook her head. "All you're doing is taking away Usagi's reality. You're letting the spirits take control, and if you're not careful, it will end in them taking over your life."

"You're crazy," I said, though I couldn't stop a hint of fear coming through. "I'm doing this to make Usagi happy, remember!"

"And Mamoru?"

"Yes, and Mamoru too, damn it!" I said. "I used the Pen to create a magical database, and it told me that he is the perfect match for Usagi. They _will_ be happy together."

"Maybe they will," Rei said; and I blinked, as though dazzled by a sudden fire in her eyes. "But if there's nothing else you can do, at least you could give him the chance to choose fairly between us. Make me into a sailor warrior too!"

I shrank back. I was already a little afraid of her; she was strong and determined, and I could see that she would be fierce when roused. The idea of coupling that with a sailor warrior's magic was not something I wanted to think about; I would never be able to win against her, and I would lose all control over my own story.

"I'm sorry," I said, "but I can't do that."

"I'm trying to give you a chance," said Rei. "I can feel evil at work within you. I don't think you should trust that Pen."

I snorted. "You're talking nonsense – just trying to scare me."

"I tell you, I can sense dark magic somewhere here, and I don't like it."

"Then it's got nothing to do with the Pen," I said stubbornly. "The Pen has done nothing but good for me and Usagi – it's helped us become friends with Ami, and maybe saved Minako's life. You can't call any of that evil."

"No, but sometimes good deeds can be used for evil ends. I'm just saying that you should be more careful."

"I'll bear that in mind," I said.

There was a long silence.

"If that's all you've got to say…."

Rei bowed. "Very well," she said. "I see I'm not going to convince you. But you will hear from me if you go near Mamoru again. And if this goes any further – I won't forgive you."

She got up and walked out, and I couldn't help sighing as I watched her graceful stride, and the way her hair swished behind her. I couldn't help being envious: she was a creature who could draw everyone's attention just by being herself, while all I could do was sit in my room and write dreams and hope that people would remember I was the one who created them.

And when the door closed behind her, it felt as though the portal to a magical realm had sealed shut and I was left to console myself with ordinary things again. I sighed, took a while to compose myself, and then transformed and summoned Thetis.

"Yes, Mistress?" she said.

I leant back and told her as briefly as I could about Rei's visit and everything she had said. "I can't act against her directly," I said. "But I want her to know she's chosen the wrong person to mess with. I'll set a monster to attack her, and I won't let Sailor Moon save her until she's on her knees and begging for mercy. Then _maybe_ I'll think about letting her be a sailor warrior – if she asks nicely."

Thetis stared down at me. "Is this going to become your response every time you have an argument with someone?"

"No, of course not!" I retorted. "But this is different. Rei could really mess things up if I don't sort her out."

"I did warn you about that, Mistress."

"That doesn't matter now," I said impatiently. "Thetis, we've got to go about this subtly, so that Rei has no idea what's going on until we've got her trapped and she can't escape. Remember what I told you about the Silver Crystal?" For I had already explained to her the plot I had concocted with Ami. "Well, this is what I want you to do. Use your powers of disguise. Go round and start spreading rumours. Get people talking about the Silver Crystal. And then – you said that Rei was a miko, didn't you?"

"Yes. At the Hikawa Shrine."

"Good." I allowed a little smile to flicker across my lips. "Then – could you find a way to mention the shrine in connection with the Crystal? Not too directly, but just enough to start people speculating that they might be connected?"

"I could do that," Thetis said with a frown, "but am I allowed to ask why?"

"But it's simple!" I said. "I'm going to tell Jadeite that the Dark Kingdom need to find the Silver Crystal to complete their revival, and then, once he hears about the shrine, he'll stop at nothing to try to get hold of it. He's desperate to prove himself, after so many failures."

"Well, I see that," Thetis said slowly, "but why go about things in such a roundabout fashion? Why not just tell him directly to attack the shrine?"

I blinked in surprise. "I can't believe I'm hearing that from you."

"I can see you have made your mind up to attack Rei, so I would not try to persuade you otherwise. I merely wondered why I have to do all this."

I sighed. "I want to work the Silver Crystal into the narrative from now on, but I can't just tell Jadeite it's at the shrine – because it isn't. If it's just a rumour, then when we're done with Rei, he can find out that it's not true, and continue the search elsewhere."

"I see," said Thetis. "I must admit, that is a sensible plan. You are beginning to think strategically at last."

"Then you'll do that?"

"You know that I have no choice but to obey," she said coldly. "But I will just say, one last time, that I am not happy with this."

"It's not your business to be happy with it." I stamped my foot and turned away.

"So be it," said Thetis; and she bowed low, then stepped through the mirror and was gone.


	24. Book I Ch 23 Hikawa Shrine

**(o)**

**23  
>Hikawa Shrine<br>**

"Good morning, Ami-chan!" Kanami called out to her as she approached our table next Friday.

"You look worried," said Usagi. "What's wrong?"

Ami pulled out a newspaper and placed it on the table. "Have you seen the news?"

"No," we all said.

"The six o'clock bus from Sendai Hill last night never arrived at the next stop. As far as anyone can tell, it just vanished – along with everyone on board."

"How horrible!" Usagi gasped.

"But how could such a thing happen?" said Kuri.

"No-one knows," Ami said as she sat down. "Even if the driver made a mistake and took them down the wrong road, they would have to be _somewhere_. Even if they crashed, they couldn't just vanish into thin air. Yet no-one has been able to find them."

"Perhaps they were abducted by aliens," said Umino, popping up in his usual style between my chair and Usagi's.

"_Stop doing that!_" I said; but no-one took any notice.

"Come on, Ami-chan," said Yumiko. "A brainy girl like you must have _some_ theory. What do you think has happened?"

"Well, it's difficult to say. I would guess the most likely explanation was kidnapping, if even that wasn't fantastically unlikely – after all, it can't be easy to make a bus disappear. No matter how you did it, there would be so much risk of being seen. And why? If you wanted to kidnap someone, there must be easier ways."

"But maybe that's the point," I said uneasily. "Maybe whoever did this wanted to show off their power, so people would be more ready to agree to their demands."

"Maybe," said Ami. "The one thing I know is, whoever did this must be a very dangerous person indeed…."

* * *

><p>Next Monday, the papers reported the disappearance of a second bus at exactly the same place and time, and when we arrived at school, we found Umino scaring a group of wide-eyed first-years by telling them the legend of the "devil's six o'clock bus" that vanished down an extra road that could somehow never be counted, and took its passengers straight to hell.<p>

"Oh, stop it," I said impatiently. "Umino-kun, you know there's no such legend."

"I'm frightened, though," said Kuri. "Aren't you a little bit frightened?"

"Oh, not you too!" I said. "You know Umino's making it all up…."

"But it's _scary!_" Usagi whimpered. "Just think of those innocent people lining up for the bus, little thinking that when they get on it, they will _never be seen again…._" Her face froze with a look of such terror that I shuddered in spite of myself.

"Usagi-chan, this is nonsense," I said, holding her firmly by the shoulders.

"I have an idea," said Ami, who had just arrived. "Why don't we go to the Hikawa Shrine after school today and buy one of their amulets for protection against evil spirits? Then you won't have to feel scared any more, Usagi-chan."

Kuri was enthusiastic. "I've heard their amulets are really effective," she said.

"I'm not sure," said Usagi. "Ami-chan, do you believe such things work?"

"I've also heard that the miko girl at the shrine is very beautiful," Ami said teasingly. "Come on, Usagi-chan, we'll go together and you'll have a good time."

"All right!" Usagi said with a warm smile.

Just then the bell rang, and Usagi and Kuri hurried off. Ami was about to follow them, but I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Ami-chan," I said, "what's all this about?"

"I thought we should go up and investigate," she said. "And… I thought we should take Usagi-chan, just in case… well, in case we have any need for Sailor Moon's powers."

I frowned. "But why the Hikawa Shrine?"

"It's right next to the bus stop where the buses disappeared. Most of the passengers will have been shrine visitors on their way home. Didn't you know?"

I didn't need to answer; my shocked expression must have spoken for itself. I walked slowly towards the classroom, deep in thought.

* * *

><p>And so it was that after school the four of us walked up to the shrine together. Ami, the only one of us who had been there before, pointed out the Sendai Hill bus stop when we reached it, and indicated the road that the bus took. It led to an intersection of five streets, and the bus should have gone down the second one and round a corner, but it had never arrived. But there was no time to investigate the scene; Usagi and Kuri were only interested in getting up to the shrine. To our left, the road was bordered by a stone wall, with a deep green mass of cedars covering the slope beyond. The only way through was a small gateway, very close to the bus stop, and beyond it a long flight of steps leading up until they disappeared under the trees.<p>

It was a warm afternoon, and Usagi groaned at the sight of the steps. I chuckled. "Come on, we'll help you up," I said.

We made slow progress, taking a break every few steps, but soon we were deep into the wood, and the noise of traffic had faded into a low rumble in the background like the flowing of a distant river. The steps turned in a curve, and as we came round the corner we saw ahead of us the torii, the gate marking the entrance to the shrine's grounds, rising over the trees and making a dark outline against the cloudy sky. Two crows were perched on the gate, watching us; as we came closer, they started cawing and screeching, and then took off and flew above us in a wide circle. A blast of cold wind scraped against my face.

"Naru-chan!" Usagi cried. "I don't like it. Let's go back."

"Nonsense," Ami said gently. "You're just reacting to the atmosphere. There's nothing here to be scared of."

I wasn't sure I agreed, but that wasn't the right moment to say so, so I took Usagi's arm and helped her up. We came through the gate and out into the courtyard: a wide paved space from which a road led away down the middle of the precinct. On either side of the road were rows of low buildings, gleaming with little lights reflecting off their gold and crimson painting, their roofs curving into spikes that cut into the sky. A group of girls, in the uniform of a neighbouring school, were hanging round under the nearest window, chatting away merrily; while in the distance, the tops of the trees brushed playfully against each other in the wind. Usagi brightened up at once; partly from relief at the climb being over, but also, I think, because the sound of laughter made the place seem more welcoming at once. Little touches like that make a great deal of difference to the atmosphere of a place, just as the cawing of the crows had made the air feel almost sinister, even though I knew they were harmless. If I were writing the story, I would have had the courtyard grim and silent, with no sound except the whisper of the trees as they shared secrets too dark for men to know. I would have had the sky above us grow dim and ruddy as the evening came on suddenly, and the shadows of the statues along the path rush out at us as if ready to attack. I wanted an air of quiet menace, not to scare Usagi away, but just enough to unsettle her so that she would be wary of Rei when they met.

We crossed the courtyard, and suddenly a little old man came rushing out to meet us. He was bald and round-faced, dressed in white and sky-blue robes, and I guessed at once that he must be the shrine's priest.

"Ladies!" he said, making a deep bow. "Our humble shrine is illuminated by your beauty. Can I persuade any of you to join us as a part-time miko?"

"Grandfather!" an angry voice called out behind him. "What have I told you about hitting on visitors? You're giving the shrine a bad reputation!"

"Only my little joke," the man said as he smiled up at her and hobbled off.

And Rei stood facing us, dressed in her miko's garb of red hakama and white kimono. She stopped dead as soon as she saw me, and her face distorted into an ugly grimace. "_You!_"

Ami quickly stepped between us and bowed. "This is my friend Osaka Naru-chan," she said. "Naru-chan, I'd like you to meet Hino Rei-chan."

We bowed coldly to each other, and Rei turned and strode away, leaving Usagi staring after her in a trance. "So that's the miko," she said. "Hey, where's that man gone? I do want to come and work here!"

"Come on, Usagi-chan," said Ami. "Didn't you want to look at their amulets? That's where they sell them, at that window over there."

She pointed towards where the group of girls had been; they were slowly drifting away, paying us no attention as they were busy showing each other their purchases. We walked over to the window, and were greeted by another miko, slightly older, perhaps sixteen, with untidy red hair that hid half of her face.

"Good evening," she said. "May I interest you in any of our lucky charms?" She studied each of us intently, and then focused on Usagi. "I know what a beautiful girl like you needs," she said. "This charm will make sure the person you love never leaves you!"

"The person I love…," Usagi mumbled as she fingered the amulet. "But… what if I don't know who that is?"

"Why not come to one of our fortune-telling sessions? I will look into the sacred fire and predict the outcome of your love." She smiled.

"Wow!" Usagi said. "But are they very expensive?"

"I'm sure I could arrange a group discount, if any more of you would like to know the future?"

"Not for me," said Ami. "Having a boyfriend would get in the way of studying."

"Ami-chan!" Usagi said reproachfully. "You'll only be young once!"

"Then perhaps I can interest you in this amulet, to help you concentrate your mind?"

I frowned as I watched Ami get out her purse. This miko certainly knew how to persuade her customers, and I could see why they kept coming even after the disappearing buses scare. All the same, I wasn't happy that even Ami seemed to have fallen for her patter, and I was determined she would not get anything past me.

"And how about you?" she said to Kuri. "What do you desire? You are not touched by love; I can see that in the stern moulding of your face. And I think you don't care much for study. Perhaps success on the sports field is what you seek?" She smiled as Kuri gave an involuntary twitch. "I have just the charm for you…."

"If you know so much about us," I interrupted, "what about me? What sort of charm would I want?"

She gazed at me thoughtfully with her one visible eye. I glared back at her; yet all the same, I couldn't help flinching a little under the intensity of her gaze. "You don't seem like the sort who believes in amulets," she said at last. "But we sell many other things… there is an air about you of light and pretty colours. Crystals? Is that what you've come here to look for?"

I backed away, clutching Ami's hand. "Come on, Ami-chan," I whispered. "Let's get away from here."

"You wouldn't be interested in joining our fortune-telling session?" said the miko. "The next one starts in a few minutes, and I can see there is some mystery that is troubling you."

I looked at Usagi. "You wanted to get your fortune told, didn't you?"

"But…."

"No worries, I'll pay for it," I insisted. I handed over a note, and then led Ami away; Kuri decided to go with Usagi.

As we returned to the courtyard, there were still a few visitors around, but they kept together in tight huddles. There was no more merry laughter; only whispered conversation and the sound of birds calling to each other from somewhere in the trees. The evening sky was already beginning to darken, and most of the visitors were heading for the gate, with a sense of urgency in their step that I felt I understood. The crows still watched us from their perch on the gate, and I felt that this was not somewhere I should like to be at night. I shivered.

"Is something wrong?" said Ami.

I took a while to reply. "Ami-chan, you've been here before, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"How well do you know Rei?"

She looked at me in surprise. "I wouldn't say I know her," she said. "I mean, I know her name and her face, but we've never said more than hello to each other."

After making sure there was no-one else close enough to hear, I said quietly, "I wonder if she may have something to do with the disappearances."

"That sounds very unlikely," said Ami. "Why would she want to do something like that?"

_For the very reason I mentioned earlier – as a show of her power to make me agree to her demands_, I thought, but did not speak it. After a while I said, "There must be some reason why those people disappeared from here in particular. And I can't possibly suspect her grandfather – he seemed such a jolly and harmless old man, even if he is a bit… you know."

"I also find it hard to suspect a young girl," said Ami. "How could she have made the buses disappear, anyway?"

I was reluctant to abandon my theory. "She's in communication with the spirit world. Maybe she got her demon friends to open a portal that sent the buses straight down to hell."

Ami blinked. "Naru-chan, this isn't like you. What's got into you?"

I decided to take a different approach. "Well, at any rate she might know something that would help us," I said. "Why don't you go and talk to her? You'd be a lot better at getting information out of her than I would."

"All right," said Ami. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm just going to have a look round and see what I can find…."

We gave each other a good-luck smile, and I scuttled off. The shadows were closing in fast, and the surrounding trees were already more black than green. The crowd of visitors had noticeably thinned out. Good; there would be fewer people around to see what I was doing. I wandered across to the window where the miko had been selling amulets; it was now closed and shuttered. No-one seemed to mind what I was up to, so I continued round the back of the building. The sounds of footsteps and conversation died away behind me; ahead, the air was silent except for the sound of running water coming from inside one of the buildings. A burst of warm air wafted towards me, filled with the smells of the evening meal being prepared, a mixture of vegetables and strong spices. I crouched under the back of the building and slowly edged myself forward.

I wasn't sure what I expected to find; but all the same, I didn't like Rei, and felt she was probably up to something. Even if she turned out to have nothing to do with the disappearing buses, I was hoping to find something I could use against her. I came to the corner of the building, crouched low, and carefully peered round to see if anyone was round the other side and might see me. I shrank back as I thought I saw someone, but it was just some small animal scurrying about in search of food. I took a few moments to calm myself, and then dashed across to the corner of the next building.

This was a long single-storey building, and it was close to the centre, so I felt it was probably important. There was someone inside; I could hear voices, but only faintly. I came a little closer towards the window – and then I saw it. Under the window was a flowerbed, and in the centre of the flowerbed was a single, very clear, human shoeprint. I stared at it. The flowerbed was long, and anyone walking across it would have left several prints. I could see only one explanation for the single print: someone had been crouching right under the window so as to overhear a conversation going on inside. Instinctively, even though I knew it was very unlikely that the same people would still be there, I pressed my own foot into the shoeprint and steadied myself by gripping tightly onto the windowsill.

I paused and tried to shut out other sounds and focus on the inside of the building. I heard a door close, and then voices, but still not clear enough for me to make out what they were saying. I pulled myself up towards the window and concentrated as hard as I could.

And then I felt a hand come down firmly on my shoulder.


	25. Book I Ch 24 The Road to Nowhere

**(o)**

**24  
>The Road to Nowhere<strong>

I span round. A young man stood behind me, staring down at me with a frown of patient but unshakable anger. He looked familiar, but at first I couldn't place him. I backed away, but I knew better than to make a run for it; I must have looked suspicious enough in any case, and running would only have made things worse.

"Who are you and what are you doing there?" he said.

At once, I knew where I had seen him before. He was the man we bumped into outside the Crystal Seminar, the one who was so rude to Usagi! I glowered at him.

"I was just having a look around, if that's all right with you," I said. There was no point in telling him about the shoeprint, not now that I had trodden it into oblivion.

"This is a private garden. You've got no business to be here."

"Well, what are _you_ doing here, if it comes to that?" I snapped at him.

"That's really none of your business," he said calmly. His other hand moved further behind his back, and I saw that he was trying to conceal a bunch of lilies he had been picking.

"Well, if that's your attitude, maybe _you_ should try minding your own business for a change," I said. I slipped past him and started to walk away, but he put a hand around my wrist to hold me back.

"Hey, stop that!" I jerked myself free.

"Come with me," he said, and he led me back towards the courtyard. I sighed and fell into step with him; there was really nothing else I could do. "Hino-san!" he called out.

A door opened, and Rei's grandfather hobbled out in front of us, vigorously shaking his head as he looked me over. "Well, Mamoru-san?" he said. "What is it? Who's this babe you've found? Ah, I hope you're not playing games behind Rei's back! She'll be heartbroken, she will!"

I swung my head round and stared up at him. _Mamoru?_ It couldn't be… and yet, now that I came to think of it, his face _did_ look like the picture I had seen on my database. I could hardly have found a way to make a worse first impression. I closed my eyes and drew a heavy sigh.

"It's nothing like that!" Mamoru said heatedly. "She was snooping round behind the shrine, listening in at the window."

"Was she now!" said the old man. "That's very good, that is. I like a girl with a bit of spirit – you know that?" He tilted his head at me and grinned.

I said nothing, and heartily wished that I could get away. But I had to find some way of regaining Mamoru's trust, or things might become awkward if he ever did get together with Usagi. At last Rei's grandfather burst into laughter and waddled away, and I turned to face him.

"Come in here," he said, and he opened the door of the building I was eavesdropping outside. He led me down an unlighted passage, then opened a sliding door in the wall on the left. It led into what I supposed was a visitors' room: a wide empty space with cushions arranged to form seats around the edges. Ornate red and gold tapestries hung on the walls, and the smell of incense permeated the room. A low wooden table stood in the middle, and Rei and Ami were sitting on either side of it, sipping tea. Both looked up in surprise as we entered.

"Sorry to disturb you, Rei-chan," said Mamoru. "But I found this girl outside, listening under the window, and I thought you'd like to know."

"Thank you," said Rei. "I'll deal with this; please leave us."

Mamoru bowed and left, closing the door behind him. I stood nervously, as still as I could. No doubt Rei now thought I was some kind of delinquent, so I wanted to show her that I too could be quiet, well-mannered and elegant. She glared at me coldly, and I couldn't meet her eyes; I stared at the floor.

"Well? What have you got to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry," I said. "I was just looking around."

"And why?"

I took a deep breath and decided this was one of those situations where telling the truth couldn't exactly make things any worse. "I thought maybe I might find something out… about those disappearing buses."

"Is that it?" said Rei. "You had the nerve to suspect _me_? Why would I do such a thing?"

I said nothing; my earlier suspicions would just have sounded foolish.

"We had the police round earlier, asking questions," Rei said to no-one in particular. "They even wanted to know if we held our dancing ceremony at five-thirty especially so that visitors would have to catch the six o'clock bus afterwards. What cheek! That ceremony has been held regularly at five-thirty for years."

"I didn't mean to cause you any trouble," I said.

Rei looked at me again, and her eyes were hard with suspicion. "Do you know what I think?" she said. "I think _you_ know more about this than you're letting on. Who else do we know who has the power to make something like this happen – just like that?"

Ami decided it was high time to intervene. "Please," she said as she rose carefully to her feet. "Naru-chan is my friend, and I do _not_ believe she would do something like this. And I don't believe Rei would either," she added firmly.

Rei bowed to Ami, but her frown did not soften. "Then why are you here?" she said.

"We want to solve this mystery and rescue the people who've disappeared, if we can," said Ami. "Can't you two put your differences aside for now and see if we can work on this together? Lives may be at stake."

Rei and I looked steadily at each other for a long time, and at last Rei nodded. "You're right," she said. "But how can you help solve this?"

"That was why I brought Usagi here," I said. "Don't worry," I quickly said to Ami. "Rei knows about Usagi being Sailor Moon."

"I've also heard that recently, Sailor Moon has been joined by a second magical warrior, who happens to have _blue_ hair," said Rei.

"That's right," said Ami. "I am Sailor Mercury, the warrior of water."

"Moon, Mercury – I can see a pattern," said Rei. "But where is Usagi now?"

"She went with your other miko for a fortune-telling session," I said.

Rei snorted. "Fortune-telling?" she said. "Zoe's been here less than a week; all she knows of fortune-telling is going through the motions and telling the customers whatever they want to hear. Reading the sacred fire takes _years_ of practice, and even then it's hard to see things very clearly, even harder to interpret them. That kind of hocus-pocus may get customers, but least I know that when I do a reading for someone, I tell them honestly what I see."

"That's how people are, I'm afraid," said Ami. "So she's not been here for very long?"

"You've seen what my grandfather's like; he can't meet a pretty girl without trying to hit on them and asking them if they want to work here. This one said yes."

"And what's she like?"

Rei considered. "She's friendly with the customers, she does her chores, and she's pretty neat and tidy. I have to admit that the shrine's been a more cheerful place since she joined us. She's hard to dislike – though I almost wish I could."

Ami blinked. "What do you mean?"

Rei gave a wry chuckle. "I suppose I'm just sensitive about people treating sacred matters so lightly," she said. "This shrine has been here for three centuries, and it's our job to respect and carry on the traditions of our ancestors, so they don't get forgotten. Something that seems to happen all too easily in the modern world."

"You care a lot about the shrine, don't you?" said Ami.

"It's been my home since I was eight," said Rei. "Yes, I suppose I do feel a bit protective of it. And I will _not_ forgive anyone who tarnishes its good name." She rounded on me as she said this. Fire blazed in her eyes, but it was not the fire of anger; she was just giving me a warning. I took a step backward all the same.

"We'll help you find the people behind the disappearances," I said. My feelings towards Rei hadn't changed, but I no longer doubted that she had nothing to do with the mystery.

"We should go and find Usagi-chan," said Ami. "Surely their fortune-telling session must be finished by now?"

"I expect so," said Rei. She still refused to give me a friendly look.

We went outside together. The evening was fading into twilight, and the black mass of trees seemed to merge without any clear boundary into the deep purple of the sky. The crows still whirled around and cawed into the darkness; there was no other sound. The air seemed uncannily cold and still.

"Usagi-chan!" I called out. "Kuri-chan!"

Rei looked around, and then caught sight of a slight movement. "Zoe!" she called.

The older miko came into sight round the corner of the building.

"If you're looking for your friends," she said, "they had to go. I think they remembered something. They asked me to tell you not to wait for them."

I frowned. "What could they suddenly have to rush away for?" I said. "That's not like Usagi. What could be so urgent, at this hour?"

"I don't know," said Ami. "What time is it, anyway?"

I paused as I tried to piece together how much time had passed. I felt sure it was more than I would have liked. Then a low boom echoed across the air: the sound of a distant bell striking the hour. One, two, three, four, five, _six_.

"Six o'clock!" I said. "How did it get so late?"

"Naru-chan," Ami whispered, "the cursed bus!"

I gasped, and we stood staring at each other, eyes wide with terror. What could Usagi have remembered that made her leave now, of all hours? With barely a backward glance at Rei, in an instant we were both running down the stairs as fast as we could.

We came round the corner, and saw the street below us. The bus was still there; the tail end of the queue was just disappearing, and last of all –

"_Usagi-chan!_" I screamed. "_Kuri-chan!_"

But they were still too far off to hear us; nor could we reach them in time. In just a few more seconds, they had climbed inside, and the doors closed behind them. Ami was already tiring, but still we ran on, and reached the street just as the bus began to pick up speed ten metres ahead of us. Ami fell, exhausted, to her knees and wept.

I just stood there, watching the bus as it drove away. It reached the intersection and turned to head down the next street. And then my mouth fell open in shock. It was all wrong: like a jigsaw puzzle put together out of order. One house just ended halfway and merged with half of another house. A tree stopped in mid-air. A patch of purple sky ran abruptly into a patch of black. It was as though a neat circle had been cut out of my field of vision and replaced with part of another scene: a very similar scene, so that the discrepancies could almost escape notice unless you were looking carefully. But I was sure I was right. And it was into this circle that the bus now turned; it went right into the middle of it, down the phantom street, and then, the moment it had passed fully through the circle, it vanished in an instant. There was nothing there. Ami cried out as though she had been stung. And then the circle disappeared and the street in front of me was complete again.

I don't know how long I stood there; time seemed to freeze before my eyes. Then I felt Ami's touch on my shoulder; she had risen unsteadily to her feet; and I took one look at her woebegone face, and we fell into each other's arms and cried together for a long time.

"Ami-chan," I said at last, "please don't cry. We'll get Usagi back, I promise we will."

"I've failed her, Naru-chan," she sobbed. "Why didn't I stay with her?"

"You didn't know what was going to happen."

"I promised her," she said. "When I became a sailor warrior – it was like a promise that we'd always be there for each other. And now she's gone…."

"Then let's get her back," I said firmly.

"But… but how can we do that?"

I thought for a moment, and then gave a sudden cry. "Of course!" I said. "We can get Usagi back right this minute." I took out the Pen and my notebook, and wrote that Usagi disappeared from wherever she was and reappeared on the street in front of us.

Nothing happened. I waited a moment, feeling sure that the Pen was just taking its time, but – nothing happened. We both stared at each other.

"What…? Why won't it work?" I cried.

"The Pen doesn't think that would be an appropriate conclusion to the story," said Ami.

"But _why_?"

"I suppose… because we have to rescue everyone who's disappeared and not just Usagi."

My posture withered as I was filled with a sense of hopelessness. "How can we possibly do that?" I said.

But Ami seemed to have gained new strength from somewhere. "If the Pen thinks we can do it, then we can," she said.

"I don't even know where to begin."

"Let's go back up and tell Rei what's happened. She may have some ideas."

I hesitated.

"She's on our side," said Ami. "We're stronger if we work as a team. Please believe in her."

"All right," I said wearily; and we went back up. We had worn ourselves out by running down the stairs, and the journey back up was nearly as slow as the first time, when Usagi had been slowing us down; but at last we made it.

The courtyard was silent now, but as we reached the top I heard the trees start to rustle, as though they were alert to our presence.

"Rei-chan?" Ami called out; but her voice died away into silence.

As if in answer there came another voice from somewhere in the middle of the complex of buildings, and the sound of faltering footsteps. Rei's grandfather was pottering about, calling as he went. "Rei!" he cried out. "Zoe! Mamoru! Rei! Where are you?"

Ami sank back against the gate and buried her face in her hands.

"What on earth do we do now?" she said.

I had no answer to give her.


	26. Book I Ch 25 Wrong Side of the Tapestry

**(o)**

**25  
>The Wrong Side of the Tapestry<br>**

I think that was somehow the worst moment of all, to see Ami so despondent. I had been counting on her brain to come up with something, more than I realised until then. And I'm afraid I rather let it show, as I shook her, more vigorously than I should have done, and said, "Ami-chan, come on! We've got to do something!"

"But what?" she said, in a tone of utter despair.

"Let's go back down," I said heavily. I wasn't sure what I hoped we could do, but at least movement was _something_, a way to keep my brain occupied and try to shut out the thoughts that were besieging my mind – terrible thoughts of what might be happening to Usagi, where she might be, the horror she must now be suffering. And, worst of all, the dolorous knell that kept up its slow, steady pace and would not be silenced – _this is my fault_.

We went back down, and walked in silence down the street to the spot where the bus had last been seen. I coughed.

"Did it… did it appear that same to you as it did to me?" I said.

"A kind of circular portal that the bus disappeared into?" Ami said. "Yes, it did."

There was now nothing to be seen at that place; whichever way I looked, it appeared just the same as an ordinary street. Ami, however, was crouching on the pavement, waddling along at a slow, methodical pace, and peering at intervals down at the grass lining the gaps between the houses. I stared at her.

"Ami-chan," I said, "what are you doing?"

"Come and look at this, Naru-chan," she said; and her voice held a whisper of excitement as though she was holding herself back, hardly daring to hope.

I hurried over to her, and crouched down to see what she was pointing at. A long, snake-like trail lay in the soil; it looked very recent.

"What on earth is that?" I said.

"Proof that the disappearances were caused by humans and not devils," said Ami. "And I think I see how they did it."

"How?" I said breathlessly.

"There's clearly been some kind of electrical installation here," said Ami. "Suppose they had a holographic projector, which they set up here so as to create the illusion we saw. It would look like the bus was in front of the portal, and then as soon as it passed through, it would vanish. All we would see would be a projection of another street somewhere else; while in reality the bus would continue down _this_ street to wherever they're taking them."

I took a deep breath. "Some theory," I said.

"Don't you agree with me?"

"It's possible," I admitted. "It just seems… well, absolutely crazy."

"Oh, I know that," said Ami. "But don't you see, if their goal is to make people jump to the conclusion of a supernatural explanation, then something like this is perfect – it's so far-fetched that most people would just reject the idea out of hand. Even the mark in the soil would be invisible soon."

"Fair point," I said. "But where does it get us?"

"I'm not sure. Let's see where the other end of the trail is."

We followed the mark as it led a winding path in between the houses, and then turned and went onto the grounds of a house in the next street.

"Who owns that house?" said Ami.

"I wonder if I can find out with the Pen," I said thoughtfully. I took out my notebook and wrote on one page that the identity of the house's owner appeared on the facing page. As soon as I lifted up the Pen, the name appeared, in katakana that glowed bright red and then faded to black as though they had been seared onto the page. _Malachi Kunz_. Otherwise, I remembered Thetis once telling me, known as Kunzite, the eccentric and reclusive billionaire.

"Kunzite," Ami said thoughtfully. "Do you suppose he's behind this?"

"What do _you_ think, Ami-chan?"

"Well, that installation must have cost a lot of money, and there are other preparations to consider as well – such as having somewhere to hide the buses – so yes, I wouldn't be surprised if the person behind this was very rich indeed."

"Somewhere to hide the buses?" I said. "Where would he have taken them?"

"Not far, or there'd be too much risk of someone noticing them on the way. Naru-chan, doesn't Kunzite own the amusement park Dreamland?"

I vaguely remembered having heard his name in connection with the park, and said so.

"I'd suggest we try there first, then. It's walking distance from here – just on the other side of the hill."

"Really? I hadn't realised." My knowledge of the geography of Tokyo beyond my own neighbourhood was a little hazy. I vaguely knew that Dreamland was somewhere to the north, but I hadn't realised that we were near there. "Let's go, then!"

Ami managed a faint smile, and we hastened away. The sunset had now faded into the darkness of early night, and the sky was a dead vermilion that seemed to have no light of its own any more. But the streetlights provided a small corridor of shelter against the vast darkness above, and we sped down the streets as though we were worried that the lights might fade at any moment and allow the darkness to fall in on us. My mind was still on Usagi, but I couldn't help thinking that our parents would be getting worried that we hadn't come home. And with the story of the disappearing buses going around, maybe they would be very worried indeed. But there was nothing I could do about that, nothing except to do my best to make sure I got Usagi back as quickly as I could. Ami held my hand and dragged me on; she had grown more confident again, and that helped me feel more hopeful as well. I took steady breaths so as not to grind to a halt, and I closed my eyes and repeated to myself, _It's going to be all right. We'll get Usagi back_.

We were now heading downhill, and to our left the street ran out of houses; they were succeeded by a high wall decorated with posters. I guessed that we had reached the grounds of Dreamland and these were advertisements, but there was no time to stop and look at them. All was silent, except for the rumble of traffic coming from a main road somewhere ahead of us; the amusement park was deserted. There was a faint smell of overheated machinery in the air.

We came round the corner, and saw ahead of us the main entrance, a massive arch of iron, its intertwining rails wrought so as to form the park's name in ornate and jagged characters. The gate was firmly closed and padlocked, but that was no obstacle to me; with the aid of the Pen, we were soon inside.

We edged forward, unsure now of which way to go and not wanting to miss any signs. But there were no sounds, except for the occasional cry of some night creature, and the soft thuds of the first raindrops hitting the ground.

"Maybe they didn't come here after all," I said.

Ami said nothing, but clutched my hand more tightly.

We walked steadily on into the darkness. The light of the city shining through the gate behind us illuminated the path for some way ahead, but it faded as we went further. To either side of us, huge black shapes rose into the sky, the outlines of the abandoned rides and attractions; ahead, we could just make out the path carving a cautious way between them, and then disappearing into a wall of black as the light seemed to fail completely.

Ami stopped and stared into the darkness, shivering.

"Don't despair, Ami-chan," I whispered. I could not tell her this, but the fact that she needed my comfort right then was the only thing that stopped me despairing myself. Once around the next corner, there would be no light, and maybe it would not be easy even to find our way back to the gate again.

Still, we pressed on. We found as we did that we could see more than we expected, now that what little light there was was not focused in one direction any more; and somehow that gave me a new sense of hope. We had come right into the middle of the park, to a crossing of ways, and all around us stood the black skeletons of lifeless rides. I shuddered.

"I wonder if this is what Rei meant," I said, "when she talked about what lies behind the things we see. When you take away the fancy lights and trappings, all that's left is dead husks. Is everything we see just illuminations covering a black shadow, with no substance behind them?"

"They're only sleeping," said Ami. "Listen."

I stopped and waited. My eyes were growing more accustomed to the dark, and I began to see thin outlines that marked out the shape of the rollercoaster ahead of me, made of tiny points of light caught in the raindrops hanging off its edges. Beyond it, the outline of the big wheel was just visible against the vast, empty sky. And they were not silent; there was a low, almost inaudible hum coming from deep inside them as something within kept them ticking over. They were singing in their sleep; and I held my breath for a moment and listened, and the soft music somehow helped me to relax as it worked its way into my heart. Beside me, Ami seemed frozen, staring into space.

"Ami-chan?"

"I always wanted to come to a place like this," she said. "I mean – I thought, if I ever have a boyfriend, that's what I'd like to do with him, bring him somewhere like this at night when everyone has gone and go up on the wheel together, just the two of us…." Her voice trailed off, and as she became aware that I was staring at her, she turned on me and hastily added, "Don't you dare _ever_ tell Usagi I said that."

"Usagi," I repeated. "Ami-chan, we've got to keep looking for her!"

"I know," she said. "That's why I've been listening. Go that way."

She pointed down a path that led up a slope and around the side of the big wheel. "_Ami?_" I said. "How do you know?"

"I… I can hear the water calling to me. Don't ask me to explain it."

"Well, all right," I said. "Let's go!"

We hurried down the path, taking no notice of the track of the rollercoaster as it swirled crazily over our heads. At the top of the slope, we could see down into a little hollow beyond: a faint light was coming from what I recognised at once as one of the buses. All three of them were there, and a group of people were huddled in between them.

We crouched down and crept forward over the rim of the slope, and then I saw that the huddle of people were lying on the ground, unmoving. I caught my breath.

"Are they…."

"No, they're just unconscious," Ami whispered. "I think they've been drugged."

Kunzite was standing in the centre. I knew who he was at once; it was a while since I had seen his picture on my computer, but his long white hair and cold eyes were not easy to forget. He stood calmly with his arms folded, an expectant smile on his face.

Someone came out of the bus – no, two people – and I crept forward to get a closer look. I was now only about twenty metres away from the little group; Ami kept close beside me.

"This is the last one, Kunzite-sama," said one person; with a start I recognised the miko Zoe, and saw that she was holding a struggling Usagi.

"Let go of that girl!" someone cried.

I blinked. "That was Rei's voice!"

It was. She was seated against one of the buses, her arms and legs tied up.

They ignored her. Zoe dragged Usagi out of the bus, and I heard her gasp in horror at the sight of the bodies strewn around the clearing.

"They are only sleeping," Kunzite said calmly as he took Usagi from Zoe and held her by the collar. "Perhaps you would like to join them?"

"Never!"

"Then perhaps you will tell us what you know about the Silver Crystal?"

I gasped. "How does he know about…."

"Quiet, Naru-chan!" Ami hissed.

"Fine," I muttered, "but I'm going to have to speak to Jadeite about this…."

"I don't know what you're talking about, and even if I did know I wouldn't tell you!" Usagi said. "Now let me go!"

Kunzite smiled. "Well, if you can't help us, there's nothing more to be said, then."

Rei roared out and struggled against her bonds, and Kunzite's hand moved towards Usagi's mouth – and a rose struck him on the back of the wrist. He winced in pain, and swung round just as Tuxedo Mask sprang into the clearing.

"Stop!" Zoe said grimly.

Everyone turned to look at her – including me and Ami. There was an air of menace in her voice that we could not disregard.

She whipped out a large knife that glinted harshly in the cold light, and held it to Rei's throat. "You there, back away," she said to Mamoru.

Mamoru hesitated, looking from Usagi to Rei and back as he tried to decide what to do. Kunzite chuckled.

His hand moved towards Usagi's mouth again, and Mamoru whipped out his cane and struck at him. I suddenly realised – the way I had programmed him meant that he had no choice. Usagi was in danger, so he _had_ to save her – no matter what the consequences.

Kunzite was prepared this time; he struck out to fend off Mamoru's blow, and at the same time Zoe pressed the blade of the knife against Rei's skin, causing a droplet of ruby-red blood to swell out from her throat.

"_Do something!_" Ami hissed. "She's going to kill her!"

My heart was pounding. I had to decide fast. Could I really risk everything to save Rei, after all that she had done and said? She was nothing to me; her life was trivial compared to Usagi's happiness. And yet – a sense of something about her, something of the hidden world she had spoken of, held me back from just abandoning her. She still had a life of her own; there were other people who cared about her. And then, with one of those switches of perspective that drive a real chill into one's soul, I realised that someone who cared about her was close by me, right now, and he was oblivious to the fact. He could not act for himself; so I had to. It was all down to me.

I quickly wrote with the Pen: _Zoe's knife suddenly fell from her grasp…_.

Nothing happened.

Mamoru and Kunzite were still fighting. "Just finish her off, then give me a hand!" Kunzite called to Zoe.

"Naru-chan!" Ami said faintly.

"I'm trying! It's not working for some reason…."

As I spoke, I tried again, using more literal language in the hope that the Pen was just being stubborn. _The girl holding Rei dropped her knife…_.

Still nothing.

"Try something else! Anything!"

And, in an instant, I knew what I had to do. I wrote rapidly.

Rei's bonds fell away from her, and she was on her feet, and a red light like roaring flames flashed around her. Zoe fell back, startled and momentarily blinded; and as the flames died down I saw that Rei had transformed into Sailor Mars, with a costume like the others, but with a red skirt and collar and a deep purple ribbon; and the stone on her tiara was a ruby that seemed alight on the inside with a fire of deep-seated anger.

And Rei threw out a hand and roared, "_Evil spirits, begone!_"

There was a blaze of light, as though a fire had sprung up into the night from her outstretched hand; and Zoe fell back with a cry of agony. Her hair flipped away from her face – and at last I understood why the Pen had not been working on her.

Rei saw it too. "Why, you're not a girl at all!"

The erstwhile miko picked himself back up. "If it really pains you to be concerned over such trivial details," he said. "My name is Izono Shouta. But you can call me Zoisite."

"Come!" said Kunzite; and before any of us realised what was happening – we were all still dazzled by the blaze of Rei's transformation – he had grabbed Zoisite by the wrist and thrown him on board the nearest bus.

"You're not getting away with this," Rei said as she advanced.

"No?" said Kunzite. He stood in the doorway of the bus, his head tilted back towards us.

"Restore these people at once," said Rei, indicating the sleepers with a wave of her hand.

"Are you so sure they want to be restored?" said Kunzite. "They are having a sleep with dreams more vivid and full of joy than nature could give them. Perhaps you'd like to share it?"

And, as Rei leapt towards him, he jumped back, inside the bus, and the door closed. But before it was fully closed, he threw something to the ground, a sort of pellet that exploded with a loud fizz and gave off a thick cloud of smoke. Rei, Mamoru and Usagi fell back and, all at once, slumped to the ground. I screamed and leapt towards them; I couldn't help myself.

"Naru-chan, no!" Ami cried, jumping up to haul me back. Too late. I suddenly felt very faint as the smoke washed away the world in front of my eyes; then even Ami's voice faded, and I remember nothing more.


	27. Book I Ch 26 In Death's Dream Kingdom

**(o)**

**26  
>In Death's Dream Kingdom<strong>

We were in a forest. Beech and oak trees grew all around us too densely for us to see much else, but not so densely as to make us feel enclosed or suffocated. Above us, only a few strands of twilight showed through the blanket of leaves. The topmost branches shifted in a slight breeze; but down below, we could feel no movement of air. There was a sweet smell of night rain mixed with the scent of flowers all around us; but no sound of birdsong, no pattering of animal feet. The world seemed tranquil and asleep; a place where nothing ever happened, into which no bad things could come.

"Where are we?" I whispered. Somehow, it felt right to whisper, even though it seemed we might be the only living things in the world. "And where are Usagi and Rei and the others?"

"I don't know," said Ami. "Naru-chan, I'm frightened."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. This place just gives me a creepy feeling, somehow."

"Let's try to find them," I said. Kunzite and Zoisite did not seem to be around either, so I took the risk of calling out, "Usagi-chan! Mamoru-san! Kuri-chan!"

Then I waited for a while, unsure whether the sound I heard in response was a call from far off, or just the echo of my own voice. But then, unmistakably, a voice called back, too far away for me to hear what it was saying.

"Did you hear that?" I said excitedly.

"Yes," said Ami; but her tone was more one of fear than hope.

"Come on!" I said, and I grabbed her and ran off towards the sound.

It was hard going; there were no paths in that forest, and the ground was far from level, with thick undergrowth. Several times I stumbled, and took a nasty scratch from a bramble lying in my way like a tripwire. I paused to recover my strength, and called out again. The other voice called back; it was nearer, clearer, but I still could not tell whose it was.

"That way!" I said. In the direction I pointed, the trees grew thicker, and nothing could be seen beyond them. But the thought of saving Usagi was driving me now; I pushed my way through as fast as I could, shoving branches aside as they closed in around me, scratched at my legs and tore at my hair and clothes. Ami did her best to follow, until one branch that I had not kept hold of sprang back and struck her across the forehead. She gave a cry of pain and sat down with a heavy thump.

"Ami-chan," I cried as I knelt to examine her, "are you all right?"

"I'm… okay," she said with a husky breath. A trickle of blood oozed from the scratch on her temple, and she puckered up her face to ease the pain.

"Ami-chan, I'm sorry," I said. "Let's keep on. It can't be far now."

Ami nodded, and from there we kept our heads down and crawled onwards to keep below the barricade of branches. After a long while, the trees grew thinner again, and at last the ground fell away ahead of us, dipping down into a clearing around a little pool. It lay at the bottom of a waterfall, and as we came out into the clearing, I could hear the noise of the water, a soothing rustle and a merry spray as it danced around the rocks. On the other side of the clearing, a stream carried the water away from the pool, disappearing into a blackness where the trees and rocks merged to form a featureless wall.

"Water!" Ami cried; she rushed past me and knelt by the side of the pool.

I followed her more slowly. "What is it, Ami-chan?" I asked.

She stood up and stared blankly for a moment into the trees.

"We have to go that way," she mumbled.

"What?" I said. "Ami-chan, why?"

But she was already drifting like a wraith towards the shadows.

"Let her go, Naru-chan," said a soft voice behind me; and I turned to see Usagi walking towards me, smiling as she twirled an orchid in her fingers. Her hair was strewn with flowers, and her eyes were wide and vacant.

"_Usagi-chan!_" I cried. I raced forward to throw my arms around her. It was such a relief after everything we had gone through – I didn't even stop to think about how I was going to explain being there.

"Naru-chan!" she said happily. "I'm so glad to see you. You must come! I've found a little temple just through those trees – you've got to come and see it, Naru-chan, it's so beautiful!"

"U… Usagi-chan?" I said. "Are you all right? What happened to you on the bus?"

"Oh, don't worry about _that_," she laughed. "That's all over now. But do come and look at this, Naru-chan, please!"

"But what about Ami-chan? We can't just leave her."

Usagi stroked my hair and gave me a beaming smile. "Don't worry about her," she said. "This is a safe place; she can't come to any harm here."

I stared at her. It seemed so unlike her, so unreal… and then I thought I understood. "You're not Usagi!" I cried. "Who are you?"

"Oh, yes she is," said another voice.

I didn't even need to turn round to know who was speaking.

"Rei!" I shouted in fury. "What is all this? What's going on?"

"Why are you angry with me?" Rei said as she stepped out of the mist. She was still transformed, and in that green world, her red glow seemed alien and unreal.

"What have you done with Usagi?" I cried.

"I've done nothing. She's fallen into a dream."

"This is your revenge, isn't it? You're taking her away from me…."

"Me?" said Rei, and I saw again a flash of fire in her eyes. "Why do you accuse me? I'm trying to help you."

Her tone was grim and defiant, and did nothing to assuage my anger. But I knew that I had to let go; saving Usagi was the only thing that mattered now. But I couldn't do it. All of this would never have happened if Rei hadn't interfered; whether it was reasonable of me or not, I knew I couldn't forgive her. So I stood there, seething with anger, and said nothing.

"Where has Ami gone?" said Rei.

"She went that way, into the forest."

A new note came into Rei's voice – a note of fear. "You just let her go?" she said. "Why, you idiot?"

I gritted my teeth; I didn't like having to justify myself to Rei of all people. "Usagi appeared just then and I couldn't keep track of them both at once," I said. "Ami seemed to know what she was doing; she said the water was calling to her."

"She said that?" said Rei. "We've got to find her, quickly!"

"But why?" I said. "What is this place, anyway?"

"Haven't you realised by now? We're in the spirit world."

"And what is there to be afraid of?"

Rei drew closer and lowered her voice. "They don't like mortals coming here," she said. "They'll think we've come to spy on them – and most of the time they'd be right. They'll try to lure Ami away by calling to her in the voice she trusts most."

I shuddered as I remembered the voice that had led us to the clearing in the first place. I'd never thought to doubt that it was the voice of a friend; it had just the right note of desperation and loneliness, the same as my own voice must have sounded when calling the others.

"Where will they lead her?" I said. I was trembling; all anger towards Rei was lost in my fear for Ami's safety.

"To the inner levels, and eventually the Gate of Souls. Come on!"

I took Usagi's hand and guided her along as I followed Rei along the bank of the stream. Soon we were amongst the trees again, and from the valley ahead of us a deep mist was rising. Rei stopped and made her way forward more cautiously, calling out Ami's name as she went. There was no reply.

"Are you sure this is the way?" I said.

Rei pointed at a bed of ferns that showed clear signs that someone had passed that way. She halted to look around, and at last pointed up a slope on our left. "Up there, I think."

"Where are we going, Naru-chan?" said Usagi. "I don't like this."

"It'll be all right," I said, as calmly as I could. "Just a little further. Trust me."

Usagi was docile enough as we clambered up the slope after Rei. The slope was a gentle one, but I was hurrying too much, and I slipped several times and had to dig my hands into the soil to steady myself. Rei seemed to find it effortless, and reached the ridge at the top when we were still only halfway up. A row of pines ran along the ridge, and Rei stood motionless as she waited for us, as though she had taken root herself. I grunted, and heaved myself up.

At the top, I took in a deep breath, and got to my feet; Rei made no offer of a hand to help me up. The view ahead of me had changed; it might just have been an effect of the mist, but the trees seemed to be darkened by black cracks running across them, as though they were made of scraps of fabric fitted clumsily together. The sky was a network of clouds like spider-threads, and the ground was cracked and barren. In the distance, the wind made a shrill flute-like whistle, a sound that was barely noticeable at first, but once you had heard it, was always there, scraping away as though sharpening its knife on the inside of your mind.

As soon as I stopped moving, I suddenly realised that I was very, very weary. It must have been late into the night by then; but it was not just lack of sleep that made me tired, but a sense of hopelessness. It felt that no matter how far we went, we were no closer to getting anywhere; I started to wonder whether the world outside the forest really existed.

"Where are we?" I asked Rei.

"The second level. We can take a shortcut to the river from here."

"You've been here before, haven't you?"

"I come here often, when I need to talk to the spirits."

I turned back to help Usagi up the last part of the slope, and at once got another shock. I was looking back down towards where we had come from, but it did not look familiar at all. The slope below me was a mass of dark and flaky tree-shapes, almost like seeing the shadows of trees without the trees themselves. I could not see the stream or the pool at all. I shuddered.

"Are you sure we can get back from here?" I asked Rei.

"Yes, but we must find Ami. Come on, this way!"

There was no time to argue. We followed her over a long stretch of level ground that led at last to a little stream, rippling its way through the soil back towards the slope we had climbed. Rei stopped and looked around, and I stopped beside her. Slowly, I became aware of noises I had not heard before – the cries of night birds, and a rustling that could have been made by small creatures scampering in the forest, except that it seemed much too loud.

"What's that?" I said softly.

Rei didn't need to look towards the sound. "They know we're here," she said. "They'll be coming for us soon. Hurry now!"

We turned to the side. A wall of trees stood in front of us; but once we passed through them, we found ourselves again in a clearing. It looked very much like the first one, with a stream running towards us from a little pool, and there beside the pool, Ami was kneeling.

Rei rushed towards her. "Stop, don't drink the water!" she cried.

I followed at a slower pace, still burdened by having to lead Usagi, who seemed oblivious to the world. "Look, Usagi-chan!" I said. "There's Ami; aren't you going to say hello?"

"I just want to be with you, Naru-chan," Usagi cried, grabbing my hand and trying to drag me back. "Let's get away from here."

Rei lifted Ami up, and stared into her eyes to try to snap her back into wakefulness. I slapped Usagi and grabbed tightly onto her wrist. I didn't want to hurt her, but she wasn't herself and I had to keep her under control. She sat down with a bump and started to cry.

"Stay close by me," said Rei. "This pool is where the spirits gather."

I moved over towards her and looked back, wondering what I was going to see. There was no mistaking the noises now: they were coming closer. Then, at last, I noticed something – not a _thing_ as such, but a wispy patch of darker colour in the air. And it was not just a trick of the light; it was moving. Rei held me by the sleeve, and we both watched as they went past in procession – dozens of them, and who knows how many more out of sight in the shadows?

And then, behind them, I saw a group of people following the spirits: the victims who had been on the buses, most of them young girls. They were all moving steadily, almost mechanically, eyes half-closed, taking no notice of their surroundings. Near the back of the group I saw Kuri, and I leapt forward and grabbed her, trying to shake her awake.

"Hello, Naru-chan!" she said. "Did you see that race? Yumiko looked so surprised when I came flying past her, I thought her jaw would fall off. I've got to go; they're going to give out the prizes."

I let go of her. "It's hopeless," I said. "What's going to happen to them?"

"They're being led inwards, one level at a time," said Rei. "There are eight levels, each one a barrier of illusion to be overcome. After the eighth level, when the mist finally clears and you see the Gate of Souls ahead of you – then there's no way to turn back."

I shivered. "Can't we wake them, then?"

"Yes, now that we're all here I can try it."

The people had gathered in a huddle around the pool. Rei stepped towards them and spoke an incantation; her eyes were closed, and her hands moved in gestures too quick for me to follow. But the spirits seemed to notice what she was doing. Some of them, who had already moved through the clearing and were drifting into the forest beyond, stopped as soon as Rei's voice started. They turned and glided slowly towards her. Others came out through the trees around the sides of the clearing; they were forming a ring around us.

In the distance, I heard the unmistakable sound of hoofbeats, and I wondered what it meant; how could a horse ride through that forest? But the sound was coming closer, and I held my breath as I waited to see what new danger or deliverance it would bring.

Rei was concentrating intently, and I knew I couldn't interrupt. The trees ahead of me seemed to have become faint, almost ghostly; or was it just the mist slowly flooding the air? Either way, it no longer seemed surprising that the horse was able to ride straight through and appear in front of us: a white horse, proud and noble in bearing, and its rider was Tuxedo Mask.

I cried with delight and rushed towards him, but he rode past me and down to where Rei was kneeling. The horse stopped in front of her and whinnied, and she looked up. Mamoru stretched out a hand to help her climb onto the horse, and then it rode away.

A sound rose up all around me, like innumerable crickets chirping; the spirits were laughing. I felt suddenly cold. Rei had fallen into a dream as well, and now there was no-one left who could wake her and the others up. In desperation I tried to run towards the horse; the trees seemed to melt away around me as I approached, turning into mere spindles of shadow. Where there had been a forest, I now saw a band of fog covering an otherwise featureless plain; there were no landmarks, not even a hill in the distance, and no stars in the dull grey sky. The sound of the wind had gone, and all around there echoed the thump of the horse's hooves; but they were everywhere, as though I was surrounded by a cavalcade of invisible horses, all the time growing louder and louder.

I took a deep breath. I knew that I was being lured deeper into the spirit world, but I had to save Rei and the others if I could. I stepped back. I closed my eyes and tried to forget; I thought of the forest again, trying to imagine the trees back into existence around me. The wind started again, and when I opened my eyes, I was back in the clearing. Usagi and Ami were both sitting on the ground, eyes vacant and expressionless; they were lost to the world.

I had never before felt more alone than I did in that moment. What could I do? The Pen wasn't in my pocket – somehow, I knew not to expect it. The others had been taken, and there was nothing I could do to get them back. It would be my turn soon, and yet that wasn't what hurt; it was losing all my friends. I could hear their voices so clearly in my mind. I wanted so much to hear them again – Usagi and Ami – even Rei or Mamoru –

I gasped as an idea came to me, and I sat down and hid my head in my hands, forcing myself to think. Mamoru was _not_ on the horse; that was just an illusion. So the real Mamoru was probably somewhere in the dreamworld with us; he'd also been knocked out by Kunzite's sleeping gas. He was the only one who could help, but there was no time now to look for him. I glanced towards Usagi, and grimaced. I hated what I had to do, but it was the only way.

"Come on," I told myself. "It'll work. It _has_ to work."

I lifted Usagi to her feet; she made no resistance, and seemed not to notice me. Then I dragged her to the edge of the stream and asked her to bend down; and when she did, I knelt beside her and pressed her head into the water. She still made no struggle, and I closed my eyes. I couldn't bear to watch what I was doing.

But my guess was right; the magic worked even here. A rose struck me on the wrist, and I fell back, and the real Mamoru was there, lifting Usagi out of the water. And, as the three of us stood there together, the horse rode past again. Rei was sitting behind Tuxedo Mask, leaning forward with her head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed, and her arms wrapped lovingly around his neck. I had to glance back to check that Mamoru was still next to me, because the figure on the horse really was his duplicate in every detail.

"Is that me?" Mamoru whispered. "Or is he Tuxedo Mask and am I someone else? But in that case, who am I?"

"It's just an illusion," I said. "Tuxedo Mask, you must destroy it!"

"A cruel thing, to tear such an illusion away from one who clings to it," said Mamoru, twirling another rose between his fingers. "But one cannot remain in dreams for ever."

I lowered my head in sadness. His words meant more than he realised: I finally understood that my fantasy of getting him together with Usagi was also nothing more than an illusion. It was a mad idea; it had no connection with what either of them really wanted, and I didn't know what would be left when they woke up from it.

Mamoru flung his rose at the false Tuxedo Mask, and because he was just an illusion, it went right through him, leaving nothing where he had been but air. Rei stopped dead, her arms still holding his invisible shape, her legs still bent around the space where the horse had been.

"Wake up," he said gently.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Mamoru-san?" she said. "Is that you?"

"I don't know. I don't remember who I am any more."

She lifted her head to gaze into his eyes. "Don't you remember me, at least?"

He looked steadily at her, and shook his head. "I don't think we've met before."

A tear came into her eye, and all at once, as though I saw myself in its reflection, I understood her and felt her pain. But pity had come too late.

"Yes, we've met," she said. "We've spent many hours together in my dreams. I would meet you on the pale beaches, and we'd take a ship to places no explorer has been; we would go into the forest and laugh together where no-one would ever find us, and exchange meaningless words under the shade of the Tumtum tree." She started to sob, but then shook herself out of it and went on. "But each time you were different, and you never remembered the other times. And I never thought, as I should have thought – if each you was different, they couldn't all be the real you, so what made me think that any of them was real? Maybe they were all illusions. Maybe our whole life together has been one long illusion, and only now am I beginning to wake up." She bit into her lip, and the light in her eyes flared up again. "But if you are an illusion, if these clothes and my powers are just a dream, then I haven't dreamed them for nothing." She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and threw out her left hand. "_Fire Soul!_"

I gasped as the eruption of light nearly blinded me. A red ring of fire swirled outward from her hand and encircled us; billowing clouds of smoke rose up as though the whole world had erupted. I staggered back, choking and spluttering; everything was hidden behind the smoke, and its stench was overpowering. I gasped desperately for fresh air, and then felt a cool breeze running through me, like a dead river coming to life again to wash away the grime from its dry bed. I was on my back, staring up at the starry sky. The grass was wet under me, and a steady rain was falling. I was in the amusement park again, and all around me, the sleepers were coming awake.


	28. Book I Ch 27 The Renegade

**(o)**

**27  
>The Renegade<br>**

I rubbed my eyes and looked around. Rei was back on her feet, but the rest of the sleepers were rolling over and struggling back into wakefulness. Zoisite and Kunzite had gone, taking one of the buses with them; but the other two were still there. Well, there were only about fifty people; two buses would be enough. I decided to slip out of the way. Ami and Rei could handle things from here; Usagi need never find out that I had been there.

Ami was soon awake, and she helped to waken Usagi, who struggled to her feet and then noticed Rei, still in her Sailor Mars costume, standing idly to one side.

"Rei-chan!" Usagi exclaimed. "So you're a sailor warrior too. How wonderful!"

"Be more quiet," said Rei. "And don't use my name while I'm transformed."

"Sorry," Usagi said, unabashed. "But I'm so glad we're friends now. Say, Rei-chan, do you want to join us for a karaoke party at the weekend?"

Rei glanced back over her shoulder. "Just because we're both sailor warriors doesn't mean I have to be your friend," she said, and walked off.

The others were slowly lifting themselves up, but I noticed one, over to one side of the clearing, who was not moving. Curious, I crept around the edge until I was close enough to kneel down beside him. He was lying face-down, but even so, I knew him at once. It was Jadeite.

After a hasty check to make sure no-one was looking, I summoned Thetis, and she threw a cloak around Jadeite and lifted him as easily as if he were weightless, and carried him away into the darkness. I followed, and we stopped once we were out of sight of the others, and she laid him gently down on the grass.

"What's wrong with him?" I said. "Why doesn't he wake?"

"Sleep is not natural for us spirits," said Thetis. "He does not know how."

"Then how…."

"You can wake him with the Pen."

I checked my pocket, and sure enough, the Pen was back in its usual place. I wrote that Jadeite woke up, and at once his eyes opened, and Thetis reached down gently to help him up.

I remained out of sight; I could not transform into Queen Beryl without touching a beryl, and it would be unwise to let him see me as myself.

"I'm so glad you're back," said Thetis. "I've been so worried."

He gave her a very strange look. "Where am I, and what happened to me?"

"I was hoping you would tell me that."

He put a hand across his eyes and furrowed his brow. "I hardly know, to be honest," he said. "I went to the Hikawa Shrine to inquire about the Silver Crystal, as Queen Beryl ordered me to, and then a man and a miko came up and asked why I wanted to know about it. The man said I'd hear something to my advantage if I came with them to this place. But when I got here, they just wanted to ask me questions, and when I finally managed to convince them I didn't know anything, there was…."

He shuddered.

"Yes?" said Thetis.

He quivered and clutched tightly onto her hand. "Don't make me talk about that!" he said. "It was terrible! I was just there, and then… everything went misty, and I couldn't see anything… there was a huge roar, like an aeroplane coming towards me through the mist…."

"An _aeroplane_?"

"Don't laugh, that's really what it sounded like! I tried to run, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from; I was trapped, and I felt sure I was going to die…." He burst into tears.

"Don't cry," Thetis said. She knelt beside him and gently ran a finger around his eyes. "It was just a dream. Humans have them every night."

"No wonder they go mad," said Jadeite, shaking his head. "I don't want to have another dream, _ever_. Please don't ever make me sleep again."

Thetis chuckled. "Don't worry, you won't have to. Anyway, we'd best be getting back."

"How can I go back?" said Jadeite. "Queen Beryl will never forgive me now that I've failed her yet again."

"Then what are you going to do?"

He clenched a fist. "I'm not going to return until I can bring her the news that I've killed the sailor warriors."

"But…."

He stood up and bowed. "Farewell, Thetis. Tell Queen Beryl I will not keep her waiting long." And he turned smartly on his heels and strode away.

While this conversation was going on, the others were getting on the buses, all except Rei, who had walked home. That meant that, of those who remained, only Ami knew that I had been at Dreamland, and I trusted her to realise I had gone off for my own reasons and not to tell Usagi. Mamoru was driving the bus that Usagi and Ami were in, and a woman I didn't know was driving the other one.

Thetis waited patiently, and when they had gone I stepped out again.

"Thetis?" I said. "What… what are we going to do?"

She was silent, staring in the direction Jadeite had gone.

"We've got to do something," I said. "If Jadeite is going to go rogue on us, then I can't go on like this any longer."

"Then what will you do, Mistress?"

"He's only a fictional character. I can just end him and make a fresh start."

"_No!_" She rounded on me. I looked up at her in alarm; in that dim light I could see little of her face, but her skin gleamed in the air, pale and ghostlike.

"Thetis?" I said. "What's wrong?"

"You can't do that!" she cried. "It would be murder!"

"But he's not really alive…."

"And you call yourself a writer! Is that how you think about the rest of your characters?"

I gave her a blank look. "Yes, characters have to be killed off sometimes if the plot demands it," I said. "Every writer knows that."

"But you would just end him – without feeling – right now when he's so full of hope? How would that serve the plot? Sailor Moon wouldn't even get to defeat him; he'd just disappear. A complete anticlimax."

"Well, from Usagi's point of view, he'd just be replaced by someone more dangerous and competent," I said. "The enemy is the Dark Kingdom; she has no reason for a personal vendetta against Jadeite that would make it necessary to keep him."

"So that's how you see him," Thetis said in a monotone. "A tool that can just be replaced once he's no longer required."

"Isn't that what fictional characters are? They're not people. They can't feel pain."

She stared down at me. "And what about my pain?"

I took a good long look at her as I finally understood.

"You love him, don't you?"

There was a long silence.

"I thought I told you," she said. "We spirits cannot feel love. It is human foolishness, nothing more."

"Then why do you care so much about Jadeite?"

"I cannot explain it, Mistress," she said. "I just feel more happy when he is around, when I can watch him and be close to him."

I shook my head. "That sounds an awful lot like love to me."

"No!" she said at once. "You don't understand; it's totally different. I don't care about _him_ as such – only about the warm feeling his presence gives me."

"I think it's like that for many humans as well," I said. "But if I create a replacement for Jadeite, you can get the same warm feelings from him."

"_No!_" Thetis snapped. "I'm sorry, Mistress… I don't want you to do that."

"And why not?"

"Because it wouldn't be the same. Because I would miss so much about Jadeite – you know, the way he smirks when he takes a drag on his cigarette, the way he slaps his boots together when he starts walking – all those little things that make him the person he is."

"It sounds to me like you do care about him, even if you don't want to admit it."

"Then let's say I do," said Thetis. "Would you really destroy him?"

I didn't want to answer her just yet, though in truth I had realised I could not do such a thing. There was something more I still needed to understand.

"Why do you care about him so much?" I said. "Don't you know he's evil?"

"Evil? I wonder if you really know what that word means." Her voice was cold and challenging. "You say that Jadeite has no feelings; how then can he desire evil? He only does evil things because that is what you have required of him."

I bit my lip. "He takes pleasure in hurting people and causing suffering. That's how I programmed him to be."

"And can you honestly say you've never taken pleasure in someone's suffering, Mistress?"

I couldn't meet her gaze just then. "This is different, though," I said. "Jadeite goes out of his way to hurt others. He threatened to kill the sailor warriors, don't forget! Would I – honestly – ever do that?"

"How could I know?" Thetis said quietly. "We are all capable of more than we realise, if circumstances we have not foreseen are driving us. Capable of more – for either good or evil."

"I would never murder someone!"

"If people did not have hidden depths to them that make them capable of actions we do not expect, writing would be a dull business."

I scowled. "What do you want me to do, then?"

"Give Jadeite another chance," she said. "A chance to prove that he can do good as well as evil. Isn't Minako's cruise this Saturday?"

"That soon, already?" I stopped to calculate. "You're right."

"And I believe you have not yet made any plans for the event."

"No, I've been too busy dealing with Rei."

"Then how about this?" She was tense now, and excited. "I will tell Jadeite about the cruise, and suggest that he attack the passengers. After all, his main concern at the moment is getting back into Queen Beryl's good books, so I have to offer him a way of collecting energy as an incentive. And I'll tell him not to attack Minako, because she might be useful to us later. Then, when the cruise is in full swing, if you're right in your prediction, the assassins will appear and try to kill Minako. Jadeite and I will take care of them, and once he sees how pleasurable it is to do good and save someone's life, he'll be won over – the sailor warriors can get him to join the good side and fight together with them, and _then_ you can introduce a new villain." She stopped. "How about that?"

I took a long time to think this over. I didn't think it would work, but as far as I could see there was no harm in trying it, and it did mean I could leave the difficult problem of what to do about Jadeite until another time.

"All right," I said at last. "But I'll put an enchantment on Minako, making her invulnerable for the duration of the evening, in case anything goes wrong."

"I would have suggested the very same thing."

I drew a deep breath. "I'm glad we're agreed," I said. "Thetis, can you take me home?"

I had long since lost track of how much of the night had passed. Indeed, if one did not feel hunger or thirst inside the dreamworld (and that seemed the most likely, now that I thought of it), it was even possible that several days had passed – but I put that thought right to the back of my mind. Best just to find out as soon as possible, and if the worst did turn out to be the case, then I would just have to work out how to deal with it.

But once I got back home and turned on the news on the television, it was clear that it was still Monday night, or rather, half past one on Tuesday morning. _Half past one!_ I had never even been awake so late before, let alone out of the house; I was always in bed by eleven, except just once, that night when I crept down to the basement while Mother was asleep and found the Pen. Ah well; she would be in bed now, so I would just have to sneak quietly past her room and explain things in the morning….

Having made this decision, I opened the door leading out into the hallway, and was instantly dazzled by a blaze of light as the main light came on.

Mother was, of course, standing by the light-switch. "Where in _hell's name_ have you been?"

I stood, stunned, and wrinkled my brow as I blinked up at her. I was too startled to do more than mumble out a few meaningless syllables in reply.

To my surprise, her tone immediately softened. "I've been so worried about you, Naru," she said. "Why didn't you let me know where you were going?"

"I'm sorry… I didn't know I was going to be out so long…."

"So what kept you?" Her frown was harsh, and I could see that she was torn between relief and the temptation towards anger. I was touched, to be honest. I hadn't expected she would be anything like so affected.

"I… I must have fallen asleep," was the best I could come up with. I certainly had no mind to tell her the whole truth, if I could avoid it.

"Where? At the shrine?"

I shook myself awake, wondering if I had heard this right. "How do you…."

"What do you think? When you didn't come back, of course the first thing I did was phone Ikuko, and she was worried too, but then she rung back and told me she'd heard from Ami's mother that you'd gone to a shrine together."

I closed my eyes and lowered my head. Of course, Usagi's mother would also have been worried. And so many others. And I still didn't really understand what had happened or why._But at least it's over now_, I told myself. I had done the best I could; everyone had got home safely, and the worry and anguish would eventually be forgotten. Best not to think about it; I had too much else on my mind to take on such a burden.

"That's right," I said at last.

"Well, in future, if you're going to go off somewhere like that, make sure you tell me beforehand exactly where you're going, so that if you _fall asleep_ again I can come and pick you up – all right?" Her voice rose in seeming anger on the last two words, but it was unconvincing.

"Of course, Mother," I said – and I too was faking an emotion I didn't really feel, in my case extreme weariness.

She picked up on it at once. "Well, you'd better get to bed right away, or you'll be no good for school tomorrow," she said. "And Naru – don't ever do this to me again, you understand?"

"I understand," I said.

"Good," she said – and weariness now showed in her voice too. "Let's get to sleep, then."

We went upstairs and I got ready for bed. Before I turned my light off, however, I got out my diary and checked something. Yes – it was just as I remembered. _Cruise – Aino Minako – Saturday 30 May – 6:00 to 10:00_.

I frowned. I had had to make that promise to Mother; I didn't want to cause her any further worry. And yet, at the same time, I _had_ to be on the cruise. And I knew I couldn't possibly tell her that was where I would be; she would never agree to it. What, then, could I do?

I turned out my light and remained deep in thought for a long time until sleep finally found me; but I was no closer to finding an answer.


	29. Book I Ch 28 Only the Lonely

**(o)**

**28  
>Only the Lonely<strong>

There were many tears between us when I picked Usagi up on the way to school the next day. I said I was so glad to see her again, and she asked if I had been very worried, and I said I had always known she would be all right and I would have known at once if anything had happened to her. Though I was careful not to give any hint as to _why_ I was so sure of that.

"Was your mother very upset?" I said at last.

"It was all right, in the end," said Usagi. "She cried a lot and I couldn't get much sense out of her. Then Father said we had all better go to bed. I think they're probably waiting until I get home from school today to give me the big grilling."

"Good luck," I said with a grimace.

"Oh, it won't be too bad," said Usagi. "Mother's always threatening me with heinous punishments like missing meals or having to go to cram school, but she's too soft-hearted to carry them out."

"I wish my mother was like that," I said. "Sometimes I think the only reason she doesn't punish me more is that she just doesn't care."

"She does care about you, Naru-chan," Usagi said tenderly. "She just doesn't know how to express it sometimes."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you're such a secretive person – she just doesn't know how to talk to you about the things that really matter to you."

I couldn't help smiling as I thought about one secret I was keeping from Mother that even Usagi didn't know about.

"I suppose you're right," I said. "All the same, I wish she could find a better way of dealing with it than just withdrawing into her work."

"It's frustrating," Usagi agreed. "But you'll find she's there for you, when you need her."

Once we got to school, there were more tears as Usagi was reunited with Ami, while I fended off Umino, who was trying to find out whether they really had been abducted by aliens. It seemed that everyone now knew that we had been on the disappearing bus, and we were the centre of attention for most of the morning. While we dealt wth all the questions, Junko hovered at the back of our group, waiting for a chance to say quietly to Ami, "I'm glad you're safe."

It was not until lunch that we got a quiet moment by ourselves with our friends.

"Naru-chan, Usagi-chan!" said Yumiko. "I'm glad you're here, since I know you two are such big Aino Minako fans. Have you seen this?"

Usagi looked over the advertisement Yumiko handed to her. "This cruise?" she said. "Yes, I know about it, but it's all been sold out months ago – like I could afford to go on it anyway. Hey, what's that, _free tickets_?"

Her mouth fell open as she snatched the paper from Yumiko's hands. "Naru-chan, look at this!" she said. "Last chance to get a ticket, it says: they're giving away a ticket for two in a lottery at the Juban-cho shopping centre." She leant back and dreamily closed her eyes. "A romantic cruise under the stars, with Aino Minako's song in the background as you hold the hand of the person you love…."

"But, Usagi-chan, junior high school students like us shouldn't be out so late," said Umino.

"Oh, Umino-kun!" I said. "You're always trying to stop other people having fun."

"He has a point, though," Usagi said mournfully. "My parents would never let me go on something like this. Especially after what happened last night."

"Even to see Aino Minako? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Usagi sighed. "I wish I could go," she said. "I tell you what, why don't we go and have a look at this lottery anyway? Most likely we won't win anything, and then we won't have to think about what might have been."

I readily agreed to the plan. At one stage I had thought of using the cruise to stage Sailor Moon's next battle; but after everything that had happened, I realised that it was probably best to forget this idea. I would let Thetis go ahead with her plan and see what came of it; I would save Minako from the assassins and get _that_ unwanted subplot out of the way; and as for Jadeite's monsters, for this once I could deal with them myself.

So after school we stopped at the shopping centre and mingled with the crowd attending the lottery. It seemed a simple enough affair: you could buy a number for 500 yen, one ball was drawn from a machine, and whoever had the matching number won the prize. The winning number was due to be drawn at four o'clock, so we decided to buy one each and wait; that wouldn't keep us long enough to get us into trouble.

"All right!" the machine operator called out, ringing a bell. "It's time! Would anyone like to volunteer to draw the winning number? Yes – how about this lovely young lady here?"

Usagi and I craned forward to see who had volunteered – and we were both astonished when we saw that it was Rei. She knelt next to the lottery machine and closed her eyes as she concentrated intently.

"She's so serious…," Usagi said in an awed whisper.

Rei turned the handle, a yellow ball rolled out of the machine, and the man picked it up.

"Eighty-three!" he roared out. "Who has number eighty-three?"

"_Me!_" Usagi screamed, waving a hand in the air.

"Usagi-chan," I said gently, "your number is _thirty-eight_."

"Oh, you're right," she said ruefully. "You know me, I'm no good with numbers. How about you, Naru-chan?"

"Mine is sixty-six, not even close," I said with a grimace. "Who's won?"

The initial commotion as everyone checked their numbers began to die down, and now Rei stepped forward serenely and presented her ticket to the operator. He gaped at it for a moment, and then rang his bell again.

"We have a winner!" he roared. "Everyone, give her a big hand!"

"Let's just go," I said to Usagi. I smiled; I was a little disappointed, but I remembered that I had never expected to win anyway, and it would certainly not have suited my plans for Usagi to get a ticket. But Usagi wasn't listening; her eyes scanned the crowd. I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but I felt vaguely uneasy, knowing she was planning something.

She made a sudden movement, pulling me sharply by the wrist; I cried out in pain and shook myself free. "What's got into you?" I said. Then I saw: Rei had emerged from the crowd and was walking rapidly away, and Usagi was trying to catch up with her.

"Rei-chan! Wait up!" she called out.

Rei stopped and glanced behind her. "Oh, it's you," she said.

Usagi wasn't one to be put off by such an unfriendly greeting. "Congratulations!" she said. "So, who are you going to go with?"

"That's none of your business."

"I was just going to say, if you don't have anyone to go with, we could go together, couldn't we?"

"No, we could not!" Rei snapped. "This is meant to be a romantic cruise you go on with your boyfriend!"

I hastened my step towards them, though really I had no idea how I was going to let Usagi know she was saying all the wrong things. Anything I said would just have made things worse.

"Aww, please," said Usagi. "I know you don't really have anyone."

"That's all _you_ know! Maybe I do have one or two…." She smiled sweetly.

"Well, who are you going with, then?" She tugged on Rei's sleeve. "Come on, tell me!"

Rei rounded on her. "Why are _you_ so keen to come on this cruise all of a sudden?"

"Well, there'll be lots of cute men there, won't there!"

"So, you've given up on Tuxedo Mask already?"

"No, I didn't say that!" Usagi said quickly.

"So what, then, are you going to cheat on him? If you really love him, you should be more loyal to him!"

"I do love him," Usagi said sadly. "I just don't know if he loves me…."

"Maybe it's just a one-sided crush, then!"

Usagi burst into tears. "How can you say that?" she said.

"Don't cry, Usagi-chan," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Rei was glaring at me, and I glared back; it made me feel a little better.

"I'll tell you what I think," Rei said softly. "If he wears a mask all the time, he must have some reason for wanting to deceive you. Honest men don't do that."

Usagi gazed up at her, with something like fear in her eyes; she could think of no reply to this. Rei turned smartly on her heels and strode away.

* * *

><p>By the time Saturday came, I had a plan for how to handle Mother. After supper she complained of a headache, and I persuaded her to lie down, saying that I would take care of clearing and washing up. As soon as she lay down she fell into a deep sleep, and if by some extraordinary effort of willpower she had managed to fight off the enchantment and wake up, she would have been astonished when she came down to find the washing-up already done. But if she had called for me and asked for an explanation, I would not have answered; after making sure the door was locked, I used the Pen to transport myself to the docks at Yokohama.<p>

There was no difficulty about finding the cruise ship: it was the only one with a large crowd of passengers waiting to embark. I crouched below a pile of crates some distance off and watched for a minute, curious as to whether I would see Rei; but there were so many people there, over five hundred, that it was hardly surprising I could not find her in the crowd.

The evening was growing dark, and in the distance the sky and sea became a single indigo blue curtain, with ripples of light that seemed to come through tears in its fabric. Behind me lay the last streets of the city; setting off would be going through the curtain into an unknown world. The ship sat proudly in the bay, the cool evening light gleaming on its white paintwork. Rows of soft lights hung around its decks in a sort of mystic circle, a shelter from which the spirits of the sea could be watched, but which they could not enter.

I was beginning to wonder when anything would happen, but then I saw a ramp come down from the ship, and a group of officials in uniform came down and parted the crowd. Once a way had been cleared, the crowd started cheering, and I could just catch sight of Minako's car making its slow way forward as flowers were thrown in its path.

I frowned. A thought had occurred to me, a disquieting one. Minako's chauffeur was one of the men in the plot to kill her, and the other man would probably not be openly among the cruise passengers, as that would make it possible for him to be traced. So it seemed most likely that he would be smuggled onto the ship in the car itself. After some thought, I made my mind up and transported myself into the ship's parking bay. After all, I couldn't do very much if I stayed outside. I slipped into the shadows behind a pillar and summoned Thetis.

"Is everything ready?" I asked her.

"Jadeite has energy-drained the captain and taken his place. I will be taking the place of the first mate."

"Good," I said. "You know what to do, then. I'll mingle with the guests and watch the action from a distance, in case anything goes wrong."

She bowed. "I take my leave, then."

"And watch out for Rei," I said. "I didn't see her in the crowd, but I know she has a ticket, so she'll probably be here."

"That is good."

"Good?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Good that one of the sailor warriors will be present as a witness. Usagi will find it easier to believe in Jadeite's change of heart."

I took a deep breath. "You're sure you know what you're doing?"

"As you yourself pointed out, Mistress," Thetis said, "Jadeite is a fictional character. His personality is not fixed for all time; he can be moulded and developed. I believe that's considered a sign of good writing."

I gave her a wan smile as she bowed low and then vanished.

Then I turned my attention to Minako's car, which had arrived in the parking bay while we had been talking. I crouched very still and crept a little way forward to get a better look. She was just getting out of the car, and I was face to face with her at last – the real Minako! She was everything I had imagined and more: waves of golden hair streaming down her back, scintillating blue eyes and a sweet carefree smile. From the way she waved goodbye to her chauffeur, it was clear that she at least had no suspicions of him. She bowed to the security men who had come to escort her to the auditorium, and they set off together, one man walking on each side of her.

I continued to wait. Once the security men had departed, the chauffeur climbed out and opened the boot. _I had been right!_ A man was concealed inside, a man dressed in the black outfit of one of Minako's stage assistants, with a mask covering his face except for two small openings for his eyes. I took a deep breath and counted to ten to keep myself calm. It was going to be all right. Every eventuality had been taken care of; Minako was under a charm making her invulnerable, Usagi was not here, and I still didn't much care if Rei got hurt. Still, no matter how much I tried not to panic, there was still something shocking about being so close to a real assassin. I had always been good at creating villains for my stories, but only because I knew the stereotypes to work from. What it _really_ felt like to be someone who could end another person's life, so casually, just for a handful of cash – I could never understand that, and I didn't really want to. It made me shiver, just to be so close to him, to be unable to hide from the knowledge that such people existed.

"Are you ready, Ueda-san?" the chauffeur said. "Do I need to show you where to go?"

I could not see whether the other man was smiling, but I certainly imagined it from the smooth way he drew the knife at his side. The metal gleamed in the dim light as though it was white-hot.

"I am prepared," he said. "If you do not see me, that is how you will know I am there."

He put the knife away and walked off without a backward glance.


	30. Book I Ch 29 Cruising to Victory

**(o)**

**29  
>Cruising to Victory<br>**

By the time I came up on the deck, the other passengers had started to arrive. They milled about in couples, holding hands as they leant on the rail or relaxed in chairs and watched the stars appear and disappear as the clouds scrolled past. The city was behind us now, and somewhere invisible beyond it, the sun was setting; no trace of its last red fire showed through the black forms of buildings and giant cranes, motionless sentinels that blocked the way back to the familiar world. Ahead, there were no guards and not even a barrier; only a thin film of rainwater that we might pass through without even noticing a change.

I stood for a while watching the people passing over the deck. No-one seemed to notice me or to think it strange that a thirteen-year-old girl should be on the ship, alone when everyone else was in a pair. They were all too wrapped up in the moment, in their own little bubbles as they held hands and anchored each other in a space entirely their own. I suddenly felt very lonely, and wished that Usagi could have been with me; it just didn't feel right to be having an adventure without her. Ah well – I couldn't have brought her, not without revealing my secret and spoiling everything. We would have other chances to spend time together –

_Not like this_, a nagging voice inside my head told me. _A romantic cruise under the stars with Aino Minako? By the time you and Usagi are old enough to do something like this without the Pen, she'll have a boy that she'll want to come with. And so will you, maybe. As for Aino Minako – you and Usagi will be the only ones who remember her by then, and she won't come on cruises for an audience of two._

I gripped onto the rail as the deck started to move under my feet: we were setting off at last! We moved very slowly, but nevertheless, it was a great thrill to stand and watch the city rotate around me. I had been outside the city before, of course, but all the same I had always thought of it as a huge monolithic thing, incapable of movement. It was moving now – and my whole world was moving with it. Its sounds were faint in the distance, and my hearing was taken over by new sounds – the comforting rumble of the engine, the ripples of conversation, and, inaudible in the background unless I chose to pick it out and focus on it, music coming from an inner room somewhere. Not Aino Minako, of course – her performance was due to start later in the evening – but a DJ playing music in the ballroom. I smiled as I recognised the melody of "Sayonara at the end of the dance". The classics are classics for a reason.

For a long while I was content to watch the people coming and going. People have always fascinated me, and here there were so many of them; and no two were alike, either in their faces or their costumes for the evening, most of the men in smart suits and the ladies in lovely dresses. But after a while I began to get bored, or at least dissatisfied; and after thinking about it for a while I realised why this was. The people were, once you looked past the surface trappings, _all_ the same; none of them had any new insight or experience to offer. They were adults, even the younger ones (and Minako's presence had enticed a good number of those). They had forgotten what it meant to look at the night sky and see new stars that never shone on the waking world; they passed through the rain curtain without feeling anything more than a slight irritation if a drop landed on their faces or in their wine. Romance? To them, the word meant being absorbed in each other; all the cruise did was take them away somewhere private where they could transform into what their souls had become, and I could not follow them.

Minako's performance was due to start at seven, so I wandered idly about to pass the time. I went into the dining room, where a lavish buffet was laid out, and took away a plate of sushi, which I nibbled at, not really enjoying it. How can I put it? The purpose of a fairyland is to be something desired but never reached; when you are there, you cannot understand their language, and in time the magic fades, leaving nothing behind but the trappings of an illusion, and the intangible sense that somehow the patterns of light and shifting colour, the tinkling of glass bells, and an undertone of scent like flowers in a spring rain, all add up to a meaning that will remain hidden because our minds cannot open wide enough to grasp it. And I was there, lost, surrounded by people and more alone than I had ever been in my life.

Time passed. I remember little of it; I think I found a quiet corner and lost myself in my own thoughts for a while, wondering where Jadeite was and what he was doing and whether Thetis would really succeed in persuading him to switch sides, and how I could continue the story if he did. I didn't really have much idea, but maybe Ami would help. I missed her too.

At last I noticed that it was nearly time, so I went down to the hall. Many of the other passengers, particularly the younger ones, were heading there too; but not everyone was on the cruise for her music, and many were staying on deck. By the time the stage was set up, there were about two hundred people in the audience, waiting for Minako to arrive.

The lights dimmed. A bright yellow spotlight shone onto the stage, and the back curtains opened. The crowd roared with applause. Minako came forward and waved, and everyone around me threw their hands in the air and cheered. Minako stepped up to the microphone, and grinned.

"My loyal fans," she said. "It's so good to see you again!" Wild cheering. "And thank you so much for remembering me and sending me all those good wishes when I was in hospital!" She beamed. "You know, I don't want to sound solemn on such a joyous occasion, but if there's one thing I've learnt from my stay in hospital, it's that in this life you never know whether death may be waiting for you around the next corner. And I wouldn't want to leave you all without having a proper chance to say goodbye – so from now on, I promise I'll live each concert as though it may be the last! And you know what that means, folks." The crowd had fallen silent. Minako's eyes glinted as she gave them a wicked grin. "_It means we're going to have a real party!_"

The spotlight went out. The crowd drew a long "ooh" as the disco ball in the ceiling came to life, slowly starting to rotate as it threw out tiny shreds of light in all directions; and Minako's dress caught the light and held it, making her seem to hover over the invisible stage like a ghost. And she threw her head back and launched into "C'est la vie" as the musicians started playing, and the hall throbbed as though the whole room was alive, as though we were all part of a single living thing and our movement was beating life into it as we clapped and screamed and bounced together. I grabbed the hands of the boys on either side of me, not caring who they were, and swung myself up. I closed my eyes and threw my head back and let out a wild primaeval roar as I let go of my last anchor to the world around me.

When I opened my eyes again, little flakes of light were drifting down all around me like soft snow. The disco ball was shimmering, turning alternately cold blue and fiery yellow, and the flakes were some sort of dust or powder coming down from the ceiling, catching the light as they drifted. The boys' grip on my hands became limp, and suddenly, all around me, the people were closing their eyes and falling back. The throbbing of the room faded into the ghost of a shudder as the movement came to a complete stop.

Minako and the musicians stopped as well. "What's going on?" she cried. "Someone go and turn on the lights!"

I heard the musicians scurrying away to obey the order; then a series of thuds as, one after another, they too slumped to the floor. Minako was alone on stage, but Ueda had no intention of letting her run away. He came into view behind her – after all, he had no need for concealment now that he thought there was no-one left to see him – and drew his knife back, ready to drive it deep into her flesh –

"You shouldn't play around with these things," Jadeite said as he stepped up behind him and grasped the handle of the knife. "It's dangerous."

Ueda reacted coolly and immediately, swirling round and striking at Jadeite with a dagger in his other hand. Jadeite moved down sharply and grabbed on to his wrist, and for a few seconds the two men grappled with each other as Ueda struggled to gain enough leverage to turn the point of his dagger towards Jadeite. Minako had turned towards them and gazed in blank incomprehension; then, finally realising what was going on, she ran round and came at them from the side. She slipped in between them and sent her knee up sharply to strike Ueda's groin. He cried out in pain and fell back, leaving his knife in Jadeite's hand.

"Minako-san, are you all right?" another voice cut in. It was the chauffeur, Saitou, hurrying towards them. Giving a sudden cry, he leapt on the assassin, taking hold of him by both wrists, and he called out, "It's all right, I've got him!" as he dragged him away.

I was too far off to see quite how they managed it, but suddenly Ueda became free and lunged at Minako. He threw her off the stage onto the floor below and landed on top of her; his fingers moved swiftly towards her throat. I slipped further back into the shadows, and grasped a coat-rail to lift myself up so I could see more of the action. I was excited, but not scared; I knew that Minako was not really in any danger. It felt just as though I was watching a dramatic film, except with no physical screen getting in the way of savouring the atmosphere to the full.

"Saitou-san, help me!" Minako screamed. The chauffeur and Jadeite both moved quickly towards her.

"Sorry, Minako-san," said Saitou. He turned and made a sudden lunge, driving a dagger that I had not even seen he was holding into Jadeite's chest. Jadeite froze, an expression of shock and pain stamped on his face, and fell back out of sight.

Minako screamed out in utter despair. "_No!_ Saitou-san, how could you?"

Saitou grinned and advanced, his hands swinging casually at his sides.

I was the only one with a clear view of what happened next. Jadeite, who had fallen into a sitting position on the cellist's chair, threw a hand forward and cried out, "_Jade Laser!_"

I had to blink; the lime-green light was startlingly bright in the utter darkness. Saitou was encased for a moment in a blaze of light as if a flame had shot up around him, and then he teetered on the edge of the stage, shaking too much to keep his balance; and he fell. He landed right on top of Ueda, and the two rolled over each other.

Ueda scrambled to his feet. Minako was also getting up, and since the motionless Saitou was lying in between them, he must have realised his chances of a successful attack were running low. Instead he jumped back onto the stage and was about to race towards the nearest door – when he saw something that made him turn and stand, frozen with terror.

Jadeite was on his feet and walking towards him, the dagger still sticking out of his chest. He laughed – a cruel mocking laugh that echoed through the complete silence – moved his hand towards the hilt and pulled the dagger out. The blade gleamed; there was no trace of blood on it. Ueda turned and fled; and with a quick and simple movement, Jadeite flicked the dagger towards him. It span through the air and struck him in the back, and down he went.

I whimpered and closed my eyes. I'd never seen a man die before, and even though I knew he was a callous assassin and I had no pity for him, it was still shocking to see it happen. Indeed, if Minako hadn't been there, I might well have summoned Thetis on the spot to demand of her why she hadn't specifically instructed Jadeite not to kill anyone. But it was too late now; it was done and there was no way to undo it. Partly my fault, I suppose; at any rate, I could have prevented it if I'd realised in time what was going to happen. I couldn't make myself feel very much regret, though. Once the initial shock was gone, I found that I was quite calm again, and I opened my eyes to watch the final scene of the drama.

Saitou was on his knees, grovelling before Jadeite. "Please have mercy!" he whimpered. He at least was no hardened killer, just someone who had allowed his greed to drag him into a business that was far out of his depth.

Jadeite smiled and walked slowly towards him. "Mercy?" he said. "A foolish human notion. You chose your own actions; it is up to you to face the consequences."

"Please!" the man cried. "Think of my wife and children! I'll never do harm to a living soul again, I swear it!"

"Silence," said Jadeite. "Your whinging wearies me."

He was right in front of Saitou now. "Stand up," he said.

Slowly, Saitou stood; his head was still lowered, he could not meet Jadeite's gaze. He was trembling and sobbing. Jadeite looked down at him and smirked.

"I will take your energy for the Dark Kingdom," he said, and he touched Saitou's forehead with the tip of his finger. A green glow emanated from it.

"No you won't!" cried another voice, from the back of the room.

I gasped and clutched tightly onto the coat-rail to stop myself losing my balance, I was so shocked. I knew that voice at once, and yet it _couldn't_ be….

But it was. She was standing in the doorway, shimmering in white light like an angel, her face fierce with determination and anger.

"Leave that man alone! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"


	31. Book I Ch 30 Welcome to the Party

**(o)**

**30  
>Welcome to the Party<strong>

_(Ami)_

At the same time that Naru was watching the struggle between Jadeite and the assassin, I was in the dining room with Rei. Yes, I was on board. A few days before, I had been on my way home from school when I had been surprised to hear Rei calling out my name. I turned to see her come huffing towards me, her face flushed bright red.

"Ami-chan!" she panted. "I'm so glad I've caught you."

"What's the matter, Rei-chan?" I said. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you; I suppose I must have been lost in thought."

"I might ask what's the matter with you. You look rather down."

I didn't answer. It had been different with the disappearing buses; Rei was already involved in that and she had a right to know what was going on. With this, I just didn't feel I knew her well enough to confide in her as to my worries about Naru's latest plan.

"Well, I've got something that'll cheer you up," said Rei. "Want to stop at a café so I can tell you about it?"

I was bemused, but I went along with her; I could afford to stay out a little longer, as Mother would not be home until late evening anyway. We went into a cosy little café, and sat down at a table decorated in bright colours, with a vase of yellow flowers on the windowsill.

"Have whatever you like, it's my treat," said Rei. She leant back and smiled as she ran a finger down the menu. "I'll have the apple cake and a cup of tea, I think."

I felt a little uncomfortable with Rei paying for me, so I just ordered a glass of fruit juice. "So what did you want to tell me?" I asked.

Rei took out two tickets from her handbag and passed them over.

"Tickets for Minako's cruise?" I said in astonishment. "How did you get these?"

"Call it luck," Rei said, beaming. "So, you want to come?"

"You want _me_ to go with you?" I suppose it was a bit rude of me to put it like that, but I was taken by surprise. "Why me?"

"Thought it would be a good way to spend time together and get to know you better. Don't you think we should, if we're going to be sailor warriors together?"

I shook my head and pushed the tickets back. "What about Usagi?" I said. "She'd get a lot more out of this than I would."

"Maybe, but I don't want to go with her," Rei said quickly. "Come on, don't you think it'd be great to do something like this? It would broaden your horizons. It would be _educational_."

I gave her a wry smile. "I'll come with you if you like," I said. "But you should try to make better friends with Usagi-chan. We're all part of one team."

There was a long silence, during which our drinks arrived. I sipped at my juice, studying Rei as I waited to see how she would respond.

Her eyes were downcast, as if staring at something invisible in the space between us. "Is that what you mean by friendship?" she said at last. "Working on the same team. In the end, that only means giving away a part of yourself; then when the team breaks up you're left staring into the mist, knowing you'll never get that part back." Her mouth crinkled up. "Friendship is such a transitory thing – why shouldn't we hold on to the ones that really matter to us, instead of trying so hard to make connections that are only going to end up broken?"

I shook my head sadly. I hardly knew what to say.

"If that's what you believe," I said, "then why are you trying to be friends with me?"

"You're an intelligent girl, Ami-chan," said Rei. "I'd hoped you would be someone who could see past these social trappings to the things that _really_ matter."

My heart felt heavy, but I did my best not to show it. I just wish that _sometimes_ people could find something to appreciate about me that isn't intelligence. I remember the last time I showed Chieko how to solve a quadratic equation, and she looked at me and said, "Wow, I wish I could be like you" – and I sat there and thought, does this girl really know what she's saying? For most of my life, I've wished that _I_ could be like someone else – anyone else – that I could just be normal. I know that now I have other things in my life that help me take my mind off those feelings – but I can never entirely be free from them.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this," I said, idly running a finger across one of the tickets to indicate what I meant.

"Whyever not?" said Rei. "You're overthinking things. Come on, it'll be fun, and who knows, we might meet some cute guys there!"

I sighed. Feeling now that I had to accept, as I didn't want to let Rei down, I took one of the tickets away with me as we left the café. I remained deep in thought all the way home. Was I overthinking things? What did Rei mean by that? I felt an unwelcome twinge as flashes of memory came back to me: times when I had felt alone, even rejected. I had thought that other people simply found it difficult to relate to someone of my intelligence. But now, as Rei's words repeated themselves in my mind, I wondered whether I had been putting people off, turning down too many offers because I thought about things too deeply. I've always tried to be a thoughtful and cautious person; Mother has taught me that those are good qualities. But maybe I had too often been guilty of letting that get in the way of having fun. I spent a long time turning this idea over, trying to analyse whether it was true or not, but without success. You cannot get outside your own life to examine it; there is nothing else you can compare it with.

By the time I got home I was sick of these unanswerable questions. I bit my lip, made myself a cup of coffee, and got out my books for that evening's study.

* * *

><p>And that was how we found ourselves on the cruise. Rei was wearing a red dress, long white gloves and a golden necklace; she looked beautiful as always. I had chosen for the occasion a simple but elegant chartreuse dress, over which I wore my cream cardigan in case the night became chilly. When they declared the ship ready for boarding, Rei took my arm and we ascended the gangplank together.<p>

For the first while we just wandered around, observing the others.

"I know it's a romantic cruise," Rei said discontentedly after a time, "but I didn't think that _everyone_ here would be part of a couple."

"It does look like we're the only two girls who came together," I said with a smile.

Rei snorted and fell silent. I didn't mind; I was happy enough just absorbing the sounds of the evening, the smell of the sea and the taste of the night rain.

Much later, we were leaning over the rail together and I was watching the waves lapping against the side of the ship, when Rei suddenly spoke again.

"I've got an idea!" she said.

"What is it?"

"Well, with so many couples here, there's bound to be tension in the air and some of them will split up."

I continued to watch the surface of the sea. "Yes, and so?"

"So that's when we'll pounce!" she said. There was a thump as she drove one fist into the other hand. "We'll grab the newly single guys – one for each of us."

I sighed. "This isn't like you, Rei-chan."

She snorted. "Men have no consideration for us; why should I have any for them?" she said. "They're all fickle, self-serving hypocrites!"

"Please keep calm," I said. I lifted myself up and glanced around. We were beginning to attract notice. A nearby young couple had stopped in the middle of their walk; the boy was staring at Rei, and the girl tugged on his sleeve to get him to move on. Rei turned and saw them, and fixed them with such a fiery glare that they hastily turned and scuttled away.

"I wish I'd just stayed at home and studied," I said.

* * *

><p>Soon enough, we both felt hungry, so we went into the dining room together and helped ourselves to salad and seafood from the buffet. A waiter came round and offered us wine, rather to my surprise; I don't know whether he simply assumed we were adult because we were on the cruise, or whether he was giving us preferential treatment because Rei was the prettiest girl in the room. At any rate, I politely refused; I had not yet tasted wine, and wanted to stick with something I knew I would enjoy. Rei, however, not only let him fill her glass, but drank it with alacrity, and then left the empty glass near the edge of the table for the waiter to refill.<p>

The food was good, but I found it hard to enjoy myself. Rei no longer even seemed to be aware of my presence; she stabbed at the salad leaves and shovelled them into her mouth as if each had personally offended her. I tried to tell her to be quieter; people were starting to stare.

"If I can't get a boyfriend," Rei said, "I'm just going to enjoy myself as much as I can. Who needs men anyway?"

I huddled in my seat and tried to make myself invisible.

* * *

><p>I was glad when, a quarter of an hour later, Rei felt she had eaten enough and suggested we go to the ballroom. I've always liked dancing, though I don't get the opportunity often; but my mother's hospital has an annual ball that we always attend together. I was shy about going at first, but I felt it would be good to make friends at the hospital, since my dream is to become a doctor there like Mother one day. The other doctors all said I was cute and were happy to dance with me, and I've become quite good, or at least, so they tell me.<p>

So I was happy to agree to Rei's suggestion. She got up unsteadily, and teetered on her feet before I leapt up and held her steady.

"Thank you, Ami-chan," she said. "That's very kind."

"It was nothing," I said. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Not enough!" Rei said vehemently. "It's no good, Ami-chan. I can't make myself stop thinking about him. _He_ should've been the one taking me on this cruise, and now I've lost him. We hadn't been going out that long… we hadn't even had our first kiss yet."

I guided Rei towards the doorway, keeping a careful pace, pausing to help her maintain her balance. But she was shaking too much. Her feet slipped over each other. She fell into the doorway and grabbed onto the frame to steady herself.

Then she turned and said, "You could kiss me, Ami."

"No!" I said. "Rei-chan, you need to save your first kiss for someone that really matters to you. You'll find that someone, I know you will."

She held tightly onto the frame and stared down at the floor. "You matter to me, Ami," she muttered. "You're all I've got left."

"Nonsense," I said, taking her arm and steering her towards the ballroom. "You've drunk far more than is good for you, or you wouldn't say things like that."

I was worried about Rei, but still, I couldn't help feeling more cheerful as soon as we were inside the ballroom. It was a wide room, with gold-painted walls and bright white light sprinkled around by the crystal chandeliers. Many couples were dancing to a slow beat, and everyone seemed swept up in the romantic mood of the evening. It was one of those events where couples separated and danced with different partners, and it did not take long before both Rei and I had been asked. I smiled at my partner and allowed him to lead me across the floor; his touch was gentle, and it was easy to hold onto him as we swirled together, drifting in circles as the music swept my feet along. There was no feeling between us and there did not need to be; as soon as the next song started I was taken by someone else, and I did not remember the details of their faces, only the feeling of warmth in their touch and the pleasure of losing myself for a while in a movement that was not mine.

After a few dances I stood to one side, and soon found Rei again. She was leaning back against the wall and scowling.

"Are you all right?" I said.

"No-one wants to dance with me any more. It's not fair."

I gave her what I hoped was a comforting smile, and stood with her for a few minutes in silence. Then another song came on, and Rei reacted at once. "This is _my_ song!" she said. "I've just got to dance this one. Will you dance with me, Ami?"

I took her hand and we stepped out onto the floor together. I could understand at once why the men had stopped asking her to dance; whether it was the effect of the drink or just natural clumsiness I wasn't sure, but she moved in awkward jolts and bursts that made it very difficult to keep pace with her. Being led by her was even worse; she was left-handed and had seemingly forgotten that most leaders were not, so she was doing everything the wrong way round. And as well as all that, she drove me at an energetic pace that was quite out of keeping with the soft, melancholic tones of the song:

_"I've seen fire and I've seen rain,  
>I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end,<br>I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,  
>But I always thought that I'd see you again…."<em>

I followed her as well as I could, taking both her hands and steering her clear of collisions with the other dancers. Her eyes were closed as she tilted her head back and absorbed the song, her lips moving in time to the words.

And when the chorus came round again, she stamped her feet and whirled me around until I felt quite dizzy, all the while singing along to the music. Even when she was drunk, she was a beautiful singer, and many of the dancers around us stopped and watched in amazement.

And when Rei swept me round in one last arc and held me back as the last note of the song died away, many of the other dancers looked at us in stunned silence, as if they were unsure whether or not to applaud. Rei bowed to the room in general and led me out. A glass of some dark liquid was standing on a shelf near the door, and she picked it up and drained it.

"That felt good," she said as she put it down.

"Rei-chan!" I exclaimed.

"Hey!" someone cried out, rushing towards us. He looked surprised rather than angry, but all the same, Rei rounded on him and glared.

"Don't you dare hurt Ami," she said. "She's _my_ Ami, and I won't let you. She's my friend, I tell you, and I love her."

The young man backed off, spreading his arms in a gesture of conciliation. "I wasn't going to hurt your Ami," he said.

"Well, that's good. Just see that you don't, all right?"

I led Rei outside, onto the deck again, and sat her down. Tears were building in my eyes, but I held them back. "Rei-chan," I said, "this is no way for the priestess of Hikawa Shrine to behave. What if someone sees you – someone who knows you, I mean?"

She looked at me blankly. "You don't _understand_, Ami-chan," she said.

"What don't I understand?"

She suddenly sat bolt upright and stared up at the sky. "There!" she shouted.

"Where? What have you seen, Rei-chan?"

"There, can't you feel it?" She was on her feet, and I reached out in case she needed me to support her, but she seemed much steadier now. She peered around and sniffed the air.

"No – what is it?"

"There's an evil aura somewhere on this ship. I'm sure of it."

"What?" I said. "Rei-chan, you're drunk, you can't be sure…."

"Even if I'm drunk, I'm sure of this," she said. "_There!_" She pushed me away and ran off.

I hustled after her. "Rei!" I called out. "Rei-chan, wait!"

She didn't hear me. Something was driving her now; she ran to the stairs, down to the lower deck and through the corridors as though she knew exactly where she was going. I followed along after her, as fast as I could, though I could not keep up with her frantic pace. There seemed to be nothing else I could do.


	32. Book I Ch 31 The End of the Line

**(o)**

**31  
>The End of the Line<br>**

Jadeite grinned. "So you got here at last. I thought we'd be seeing you. But you're a little late."

"What do you mean?" said Usagi.

"You've missed all the fun. We're closing up shop now."

He rammed his finger hard into Saitou's forehead, and the man gave a strangled gasp and fell back, his energy drained out of him. Usagi cried and rushed forward, but she was too far away to do more than run into the middle of the room before Saitou fell unconscious to the floor.

Minako, who was standing close beside Jadeite, stared at her with an expression of thorough bewilderment. "Sailor Moon?" she whispered. "So you really do exist…."

"You won't get away with this!" cried Usagi.

"What are you going to do?" said Jadeite. "Cry? Throw your tiara at me again? Or just strike a pose?"

I crouched in my dark corner and got out the Pen, tensing my muscles to try to stop myself panicking. I couldn't work out what was going on, or why Usagi was here. I wasn't ready for this. _She_ wasn't ready. I had deliberately made Jadeite invulnerable to her attacks so that she would have to team up with the other sailor warriors; she couldn't fight him alone. Rei might be on the cruise, but I didn't know whether she had come or not. And there was no way I was running to _her_ for help. Better to just get Usagi out of there and then try to work out how to salvage the situation in my own time.

But when I turned to look at Usagi, I saw that she was smiling confidently and poising her tiara between her fingers.

"You have no idea of the extent of my powers," she said.

I couldn't believe it; she was actually going to try to bluff Jadeite? I stopped, the Pen still in place between my fingers, and turned to watch his reaction. I couldn't miss this.

He laughed, and for one horrible moment I thought he was going to call her bluff, but something about the fierce blaze in Usagi's eyes must have made him pause. He slipped into a sitting position on the edge of the stage, his legs swinging back and forth, and lit a cigarette.

"Let's talk this through, Sailor Moon," he said. "You know that you can't really hurt me. And I can't hurt you – I know that if I try, that self-satisfied idiot in a cape is going to turn up and save you again. We're stalemated. So why not sit down and talk things out and see if we can't come to a mutually beneficial conclusion?"

Usagi eyed him suspiciously. "I'll listen, if you've got something to say," she said. "But I'm not sitting. I don't trust you."

"Fair enough," said Jadeite, taking a slow drag on his cigarette.

"So what have you got to say?"

"We've come to the end of the line," said Jadeite. "You've foiled my plans so many times, I can't go back to my Queen if I fail to kill you again."

"What?" cried Minako. "You're trying to _kill_ her?"

He glanced up at her and scowled. "You're interfering in matters that are far out of your depth," he said. "But no. I am not trying to kill her – not any more."

"Then what do you want?" said Usagi.

"Tell me something," he said. "Are you satisfied with this? Is this really what you want – to go on fighting battle after battle, against an enemy that cannot be destroyed or diminished, until the battles end up consuming your whole life and your soul, if they do not kill you first?"

"I'm a sailor warrior," said Usagi. "I have to fight, as long as there are still monsters to be destroyed and people to be saved."

"There is an alternative," Jadeite said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"We could make peace, you and I. We have no reason to be enemies. My powers could be useful to you." He lifted up his free hand, and the soft green glow shimmered again between his fingers.

Usagi was taken aback, and her voice, when it came, had a distinct chill. "What do you mean?" she said. "The only power I've seen you show is to hurt people. How can that help me?"

Jadeite remained impassive. "You are fighting a war, are you not?"

"But – I don't want to hurt anyone!" Usagi cried.

"You tell her, Minako," said Jadeite. "Tell her what this man would have done to you if I hadn't stopped him."

Minako stepped back; there were tears in her eyes.

"Well?" said Jadeite.

"I don't know who you are, where you've come from or why you're here," said Minako. "I suppose you mean I should be grateful to you – but I don't think so. I think I was dealing with things perfectly well on my own, _and you didn't need to kill that man._"

She pointed, and Usagi saw Ueda's body for the first time. Her mouth fell open; she was trembling.

Jadeite laughed. "I can't believe you're wasting your sympathy on him," he said.

"You monster!" Usagi cried. "You cold, callous, unfeeling monster!"

Jadeite looked steadily towards her; there was no laughter in his eyes now. "Maybe that is what I am," he said. "A monster. Unnatural. Unlike you, I have no photos of me as a cute little baby that I can show to prove I have some good inside me. I have no memory of my parents; maybe I never had any. Does that make me an abomination? Is that why I must be destroyed?"

"Not because you have no parents, but because you have no soul," Usagi said steadily. "You want to desert your Queen because she's angry with you, not because you really want to help me. If I let you join me, would you give up your old ways? Would you promise not to kill anyone or drain anyone's energy?"

There was a long silence.

"You want me to join you, but you won't let me fight for you," said Jadeite. "I am no-one's servant. I wasn't made to hang around doing odd jobs while others fight. If I can't fight with you, then I will have to fight against you – even if it means destruction."

Usagi, I could see, was struggling to hold back the tears. "I can't destroy you," she said. "I can see the conflict in you – you're not wholly evil. You deserve mercy."

"Mercy?" said Jadeite. "You have a very strange idea of mercy."

"W… what do you mean?"

He sprang onto the floor in front of her, put a hand under her chin, and lifted it so that their eyes met. "You have become a warrior," he said. "It's too late for you to turn back now. You can never rest while there are still battles to be fought – and there always will be, for you are fighting in a war that has no end. I could spare you from that destiny, if you would let me. I could take away not only your pain, but also the anguish you will cause to those close to you by choosing this path. _That_ is what I call mercy."

"Get your hands off me," Usagi said coldly.

"My, you're a feisty one," said Jadeite. "I'm looking forward to this fight."

"I'm not going to fight you," Usagi said. She took a step back.

"Oh, but you are," said Jadeite. "I know how to make you." And he jumped back onto the stage, cast aside his finished cigarette, flicked out his knife, and then lunged towards Minako. He grabbed her by the collar with one hand, and with the other he held the knife to her throat.

"_Stop!_" Usagi screamed.

Jadeite turned to face her again. "_Fight me_," he said.

Usagi glared at him. She swung her tiara in her hand as though testing its weight, and then, in a sudden movement, she sent it screaming through the air towards him. He watched for a moment, and then pushed Minako back. A flash of light passed between them as her face froze and her limbs became rigid. She fell to the floor with a heavy thump and did not move.

Jadeite smirked. He held out a hand, and the tiara stopped. It wobbled for a moment in mid-air before plummeting out of sight.

"Is that the best you can do?" he said. "My turn, then!"

He stepped forward. He leered, and a ghastly glow gleamed from behind his eyes. In that dim space he seemed to be lit with a kind of inner fire that drew the rest of the room deeper into shadow. It was mesmerising. And he held one hand high above his head, twisted it round towards Usagi, and cried out, "_Jade Laser!_"

I had already shut my eyes in anticipation; even so, my field of vision was seared by the green blaze that followed. When I opened my eyes again, the whole room was discoloured by the after-image. Usagi had been thrown back against the far wall, and had dropped into a sitting position with her head rolling limply over her knees. Jadeite laughed long and cruelly.

I gripped the Pen tightly between my fingers. I couldn't bear seeing Usagi hurt, and I wanted to just get her out of there, end this now, never mind whether it made sense to the story. She couldn't fight against Jadeite; this could only end in more pain. But – something held me back. _Not yet_, I said to myself. _Not until you're really sure it's hopeless. You never know…._

Jadeite had climbed down from the stage and stood over Usagi, looking down on her with a smirk of satisfaction. "Did that hurt?" he said. There was no reply. "I'll teach you the real meaning of pain," he continued. "_Jade Laser!_"

Usagi gasped and shuddered; she could not even scream. The beam crushed her against the wall; she could not breathe. I closed my eyes and sobbed; I couldn't bear to think of what she must be going through. And it was my fault – all this was my fault –

I took a deep breath and forced myself to count, slowly, to ten. If nothing happened by then I would just go for it, get her out – it would be all right in the end, I kept insisting to myself. Jadeite was unmoving, snarling down at Usagi as he put all the energy he could muster into maintaining the beam. And Usagi –

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, her face screwed up in pain. She moved her legs round, slowly, and she pushed herself back against the wall and lifted herself up.

The beam faded. Jadeite's mouth fell open.

"It's not possible!" he said. "How can you stand up?"

Usagi held out a hand, and her tiara flew back into it.

"It's like you said," she said. "I'm a warrior. And that means I don't give up."

Jadeite growled and shot his laser at her again, but she ducked as she leapt past him, skidded to a halt, and whipped round and threw her tiara. At that range, Jadeite had no chance to block; he was struck by it and sent reeling backwards. But he regained his balance and struck back at Usagi; she twisted backwards out of his reach.

"Enough of this!" Jadeite cried. He jumped back and raised both hands above his head, palms facing towards Usagi. Light glimmered in his chest and coursed in pulses up his arms, the glow slowly building up in his hands. I held my breath. He was going to try to strike Usagi with two lasers at once, even if that needed so much energy it would break him. And she knew it. She just stood watching, her tiara ready in her hand. She knew that she could not afford to risk her advantage by throwing it too soon. Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl; each second was a frozen image seared onto my vision that took for ever to fade away.

Then there was a whoosh of air and a drumroll of crackling flames, and the door at the back of the stage was encased in a blaze of fire. Usagi and Jadeite both swung round, stunned; the glow around Jadeite's hands was extinguished in a flash. And there was a loud cry and a crash, and the door burst inwards in a shell of shivering splinters, exposing behind it a blinding yellow light. Jadeite cried in pain and shielded his eyes.

Through the door leapt Hino Rei, Sailor Mars, and with a swoop of her hand she called the flames towards her, gathering them into a brilliant ball of fire that hovered above her hand as she held it out. "_Evil spirit, begone!_" she cried out, and threw the ball of flame at Jadeite. He screamed as it struck him and blazed around him for an instant; but he called up from within himself his last reserve of energy. A green glow shimmered all around him like a shield, and the flames beat mercilessly against it, shaking him as though an earthquake had hit, and went out.

He lifted himself up and glared at Rei. "Who on earth are you?" he demanded.

Ami appeared in the doorway behind her. "The Sailor Team – Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury!" she cried. "We have arrived!"


	33. Book I Ch 32 Fire and Rain

**(o)**

**32  
>Fire and Rain<strong>

"Another one?" said Jadeite. "I swear, you sailor warriors breed like rabbits!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" hissed Usagi.

"We're three against one," said Rei. "It will be less painful for you to surrender now."

"We'll see about that," said Jadeite. "Thetis, come forth!"

The other stage door opened, and Thetis stepped forward; she had shed her first mate's uniform and was dressed in a long blue robe. She stood beside Jadeite, and I couldn't help smiling a little. I didn't know how she was going to handle the situation, but I knew that Jadeite had put his trust in the wrong person, and I was very curious to see what would come of it.

"Thetis, take care of these annoyances," he said.

"I'll get you first!" cried Rei. "_Fire Soul!_"

Flames blazed up above her hands; but Thetis smiled. There was a sudden lurch, and the floor swayed under our feet. Ami grabbed on to Rei for balance, and Rei staggered back. She lost control of the flame she was holding and drove it into her own face. She cried out in pain, and the flame flickered and went out.

"Fools," said Thetis. "Do you not know this is my domain?"

Rei opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, the ship gave an even harder lurch, and she crashed heavily down in a heap with Ami on top of her.

Jadeite turned back towards Usagi. "So much for relying on your friends," he laughed. "Maybe _you_ should think about surrender now."

"Never," said Usagi; and she swung her tiara at him, and he blocked again. But as he did so, Rei jumped up and shot out a billow of fire towards him. He was prepared this time, and the glow like a shield appeared around him again; but he did not have the strength to maintain it for long. As the flames gathered around him and battered away at the shield, the glow flickered and faded, and Jadeite fell back, crying in pain as his face was seared.

Thetis looked towards him, stunned; she was shaking, her mouth had fallen open, and her eyes were pinched in anger. "You… you hurt Jadeite!" she cried.

"Yes, and that's not all I'm going to do," Rei snarled in reply.

"I can't forgive you," Thetis said in a low tone. "_Die!_"

The room tilted and then turned right over; Rei and Ami, clasped tight in each other's arms, slid across the stage to what had become the floor. I let go of the coat-rail just in time; it went sliding out into the centre of the room like a robot whirring into action. The unconscious bodies of Minako's audience fell over each other in an untidy heap, and Usagi disappeared beneath them. Jadeite, meanwhile, just stood nonchalantly to one side, as though this sort of thing happened around him all the time.

Thetis gazed upwards with her hands raised. "Nereus, my father, Old Man of the Sea!" she incanted. "Lend me your aid!"

She leapt off the stage and hovered in the air as the world rolled around her. I curled myself into a ball and gripped on tightly to the corner of the wall, feeling out frantically with my feet as I tried to find the new floor that was appearing below me. The heap of bodies turned over and spilled in a mighty cascade; somewhere beneath them, Usagi was screaming. The door that was now part of the ceiling swung loose, and through it we saw what was making the ship tilt: a great rush of water endlessly rising, so much that I marvelled that Tokyo Bay could hold it all, rising to a white crest that reared above us like a host of spectral horses, an army charging out of the night with the fury of demons.

I no longer cared about keeping my cover. "Thetis!" I cried out. "Stop this! What the hell are you doing?"

But my voice was lost in the colossal roar as the water came crashing down. The wall above me splintered apart like a rack of bowling pins, and the room vanished for a moment as if a curtain had fallen across it. I screamed as everyone disappeared; but then I was thrown back against the wall and the breath was crushed out of me. The room started turning again, now back to the way it had been, and that sent the wall of water crashing down around me, knocking all strength out of me in an instant. I couldn't even think; nothing existed except water and nothing but water, a flood that washed the world away. My eyes stung. Yet after a few seconds, even pain was meaningless; my whole body had gone numb. I was not part of the world any more; I was floating somewhere my senses could not respond to, and my emotions had no connection to real things and were filling my mind with meaningless noise.

The water flooded back out through the broken wall, and slowly, the room wobbled back into its normal place again. Jadeite still stood, unconcerned, in the middle of the room; Thetis floated back down to the stage and looked down on her opponents, grinning horribly.

Ami lay still in a corner of the stage. Rei crouched on all fours beside her; but as the water receded, she rose unsteadily to her feet, her neck bent as though it hurt to straighten it.

"It takes more than that to finish me," she said.

She slid her legs apart to steady herself and raised her head, and pulses of light shot out from her hands towards Thetis. But Thetis gave a furious roar, and columns of water twisted up over the side of the ship and hurtled at Rei, and where water and fire met each other they burst with a hiss and sent jets of steam shuddering all around the room.

I held my head, which hurt horribly, and tried to sort out what was going on. Thetis was attacking Rei. Well, of course; she had to maintain her role in the story, pretending to be just another monster Jadeite had summoned or created. But she was going too far; I had to intervene. I wasn't sure whether she had just lost her self-control or what else had happened, but she could have seriously hurt someone with that attack – or worse. It was just luck that none of the unconscious passengers had been washed overboard. And that was what I couldn't work out; it wasn't at all like the Thetis I knew to be so careless of other people. I had to stop this. I felt around for the Pen, but I couldn't find it; it must have been knocked out of my hand by the great wave of water. I looked frantically around, hoping to find it lying near me on the floor, but it was nowhere to be seen. It must have been washed away and was now somewhere under the untidy heap of bodies. I trembled and bit my lip; there was, then, nothing else to do except wait and see what happened, how Thetis was planning for this battle to end.

She stood with her hands raised, calling forth columns of water that rose in the air, then turned and shot towards Rei; more and more, from several directions so that Rei had to keep dodging and shifting as she fought to hold off the attacks. She could not stop them all, and every now and again a pellet of water shot past her and exploded on the stage below her; one hit Ami dead on and threw her back, and she slowly opened her eyes and shook herself awake.

Across the floor, Usagi was digging herself out and struggling to her feet. She held out a hand, and her tiara flew back into it. Jadeite had seen her; he was ready to strike.

"_Bubble Spray!_" Ami called out. A haze of bubbles shot from her hands and enveloped Jadeite; he was soon lost to sight in a shadowy mist. Usagi threw her tiara towards the spot where he had just been –

Thetis screeched and whirled around, sending down a jet of water that struck the tiara dead on so that it crashed to the ground. At the same time, the ship lurched again; but this time the sailor warriors were prepared for it and managed to stay upright.

Jadeite stepped out of the mist and shot at Rei and Ami with his laser attack; it struck them in an eruption of green light and threw them both back. But both were soon on their feet again, and Rei sent a burst of flames at Jadeite that made him stop his attack and concentrate on putting up a shield to block hers.

Ami was left facing Thetis. I realised with a sudden jolt that they had met before, as friends; but if Ami recognised her as being the same person, she gave no sign of it. She held out both hands, calling up the water that still lay plentifully all around her, and directed it in narrow jets towards her opponent. Thetis just laughed.

"You have the nerve to attack _me_ with water?" she said.

She held out one hand, and Ami's jets of water twisted round in mid-air, smashing straight into each other and coalescing into a swelling ball of whirling liquid. Thetis grinned, and her eyes gleamed. She made a motion as though pushing the ball of water away, and a stream shot out of it and hit Ami in the neck, pinning her to the side wall; at the same time, she made a sweeping motion with her other hand, and the puddles of water on the stage streamed up to replenish her ball, and she snarled and clenched her teeth together and pushed harder. Ami's face screwed up in pain and her mouth fell open; she was gasping for air.

I don't know exactly what changed. The same people were in the same places, but suddenly I saw things differently, as though with new eyes. Thetis was not just fighting with Ami; she was trying to kill her. I couldn't move. I couldn't believe this was happening; it didn't make sense. And yet there it was, right in front of my eyes.

Rei also saw it, and, with a cry, she dived to the side and threw Ami out of the way. Thetis swerved to direct her attack towards Rei; but she just glanced at her and picked Ami up and ran, through the space where the back wall had been and out onto the lower deck. Usagi hastily ran after them, throwing out a hand to call up her tiara as she went.

"Is she all right?" she breathlessly asked.

Rei had sat Ami up against the rail and was examining her. Ami's eyes rolled as she forced herself to take in some air; but each breath was painful.

Thetis and Jadeite advanced towards them, slowly; they did not need to hurry, now that they knew they had the upper hand. Behind the rail, the sea was bubbling over with an air of quiet menace, ready to rise at any moment. And the three sailor warriors crouched in a tight huddle, watching their enemies come towards them, and waiting.

"What can we do?" Usagi whispered.

Ami forced in a deep breath so that she had enough air to speak with. "Don't let her distract you," she said. "Concentrate on Jadeite. She… she's only attacking because of him."

"But…."

"Sailor Mercury is right," said Rei. "I sense no evil aura about that woman. Only sorrow and a sense of confusion."

Thetis stood right above them now. Her skin had turned ghostly pale as her power flowed out of her, and her hair billowed as if in a strong wind. There was a crash of thunder.

A wave rippled up on the surface of the sea, dragging the water up with it into a fin that tore around the ship like a knife-blade cutting a circle out of the surface. Higher and higher it rose as it circled round, until a huge curtain of water had been called up all around us, roaring and whistling like a child on a rollercoaster, deliriously thrilled as it soared up and got ready to fall. The sailor warriors gazed up at the water as it closed in and covered the sky above them.

"I'm spent," Ami said quietly. "Good luck, guys."

"What can we do?" Usagi said again.

"Sailor Moon!" Rei hissed. "Throw your tiara at Jadeite!"

"But why?"

"Just do it, all right?"

Usagi stood up and silently threw the tiara. Neither Thetis nor Jadeite paid her any attention; they knew it could not do them any harm. Thetis was preparing to bring down the whirling wave of water in one mighty stroke; her hands were raised to the heavens, her eyes closed in intense concentration. And then Rei jumped up and threw out her hands, casting a jet of fire, not towards her opponents, but towards the tiara, encasing it in a ball of crackling flames. Jadeite threw out a hand to block – but it kept moving.

At once I understood, and, as though I was watching the scene in slow motion, I saw what was about to happen. Rei had a special power over the spirit world, the power to banish and destroy; the tiara would cut through Jadeite's shielding, and he would have no protection against her fire. And, from the way he just stood there, watching the scene over his shoulder as he straightened his hair, it was clear that he had no idea of the danger he was in.

There followed a scream so ghastly and uncanny that I could barely tell whose it was. But Thetis had flung herself in the way of the tiara, throwing out her hands to cast two jets of water in front of her, trying desperately to stop the tiara before it reached her. But it was not going to work; she could not gather enough power in so little time.

My heart stopped. I looked frantically towards Jadeite, desperately waiting for him to reach out a hand and pull Thetis out of the way. But he just stood, smiling, a gleaming statue under the night sky, as though what was going on was of no concern to him.

Thetis's eyes were wide and her features convulsed in pain as the tiara struck her, and Rei's flames wrapped themselves around her. She looked back at Jadeite, pleading, as her last cry died in her throat. The tiara wobbled to a halt around her neck and the flames seared deep inside her body –

No. No body. There would be no grave for Thetis, no long rest, lulled to sleep by the gentle rolling of the water she had loved over her head. She was a spirit, a creature of light and illusion; and even as her form dissolved back into the air she was made from, the waves of her last attack subsided and crashed back into the sea, sending up a huge spray that splashed over the side of the ship and lay in puddles on the deck, dimly reflecting the face of the man she had died for against a background of stars.


	34. Book I Ch 33 Beauty is Truth

**(o)**

**33  
>Beauty is Truth<br>**

Jadeite smiled and strolled forward, holding out a hand towards the sailor warriors. "So it ends," he said. "This is as it should be: just you and me. No distractions."

"_No_," I said.

His slow walk had given me more than enough time to make up my mind. I didn't have the Pen, but I did not need it – for this. I had put on a beryl necklace before leaving the house, just in case I needed it, and as I crouched in the alcove I touched it with my thumb and index finger and whispered, "_Beryl Power Makeup!_" Oh, I was in shock, no question of that, but not so much that I couldn't act at all. There would be time to cry later: for now I was consumed with anger, anger at the smug and arrogant figure I saw before me. I would _never_ forgive him. I was angry with Rei too, though I knew I could not blame her for what had happened; and I was much more angry with myself; but Jadeite was a convenient scapegoat who could take the blame for all three of us. Maybe that was wrong of me, but I don't claim to be the world's most moral person at the best of times, and this was one of the worst.

Jadeite span round to face me.

"Come with me," I said coldly.

"But… Your Majesty…."

"Silence," I said. "Follow me now."

I turned around with my chin lifted haughtily, walking as Queen Beryl should walk, paying no mind to the unconscious bodies that lay all around as I made my way to the hall's main entrance. At least, whatever it was that had come over Thetis, she had taken care not to harm these innocent bystanders; if she hadn't held herself back, I realised with a chill, she could have killed us all in about half a minute. And that meant –

That meant that _I_ was to blame for exposing them to danger. And there was nothing I say to justify myself. Even if everything had gone to plan, even if the fight had never happened, I would have ruined their evening, maybe taken away the only chance they would ever get of seeing Aino Minako live; and for what? My head hurt; I had so many questions and I couldn't sort out the answers. I had to concentrate on just one thing at a time.

Jadeite followed me out from the hall and through the corridors. All was silent now – an eerie silence left in the space where the roar of the engine should have been. I went into the captain's cabin, and closed the door once we were both inside. The real captain and first mate lay unconscious on the floor; I ignored them.

"Well?" I said. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Jadeite stared blankly at the wall. "Why did you call me back?" he said. "I could have finished off those meddling sailor warriors for once and for all!"

"Tell me what happened to Thetis," I said coldly.

He looked at me in confusion. "Does that matter?" he said. "I don't need her; I would have beaten the sailor warriors without her help!"

"So that's how you see her. A tool that can just be replaced once she's no longer required."

Jadeite scoffed. "She had no subtlety. Wasting her energy on such spectacle, it's no wonder she left herself open to attack. I could make a much better minion with my eyes closed."

I clenched a fist, but kept my voice cold and quiet. "I was watching, you know," I said. "_You_ left yourself open to attack – and so Thetis had to dive in the way to protect you. And do you know why she did that?"

Jadeite's face hardened into a scowl. He said nothing.

"She died because she loved you!" I screamed at him. I turned away; I couldn't bear to look at him any more. I didn't want to be reminded of how Thetis had been mesmerised by his beauty – the beauty I had myself given him. "Can't you understand that?" I said. "I suppose you can't; you love yourself so much that you can't imagine how it feels to love another person."

"My Queen," Jadeite said scornfully, "love is just a foolish human emotion."

"Thetis thought it worth dying for," I said. "Does even that not stir anything in your heart?" A long silence. I looked back at him, but his face was hard and unflinching. "It seems not," I said. "So you let her give her life to save your worthless soul. You knew that you could have saved her, but you couldn't be bothered. Tell me – how should I punish you for that?"

Jadeite looked up to meet my gaze. "However you please, Your Majesty," he said. "If I have failed in my duty to you in any way, it is for you to take my life."

"You say that so calmly," I said. "I wonder if anything can move you. Just to destroy you would be no punishment at all. Instead, I shall sentence you to sleep –"

Ah, _that_ moved him. His eyes became alive with terror, and he trembled and his head slowly sank towards the floor. "No, Your Majesty!" he cried. "Anything but that!"

"_Silence!_" I cried. "I will release you when you've learned how to love, but somehow – I don't think that will be any time soon." He looked up, his eyes desperately pleading, but nothing could move me now. I pressed something into his mouth – it was one of Kunzite's pellets, which I had found on the ground after we woke up from his spell. Jadeite gulped and then froze in place, his once handsome face deformed into a silent scream, his body frozen into a motionless sculpture like a fly in a glass case, his beauty broken and his empty heart revealed for all to see. I smiled and pushed him down, then turned and stormed out of the room. As for Jadeite, according to what Rei had told me, after seven days he would reach the Gate of Souls and that would be that.

I had no clear idea of where I was going; I just knew that I could not return to the others. I transformed back into my usual self and followed the corridor as far as the steps back to the upper deck. There was no other way to go, so I ascended.

The deck was still crowded with people – those passengers who had not gone down for Minako's performance and so had not been drained of their energy. They had all remained conscious as the ship turned over and the whirlpool rose above them. And it was clear at a glance how the experience had changed them. The mood of gaiety had vanished; they moved about in tight huddles, rarely speaking, and when they looked around it was with a haunted look in their eyes, as if they were searching for some kind of anchor to the familiar world and not finding one. They were stunned by what they had seen; it would be replaying endlessly in their minds, like a nightmare they could never escape from. I had caused so much hurt, I could hardly bear it –

"Still, it's an experience they can talk about for the rest of their lives," Rei said behind me. "I bet you their friends will envy them for being here."

I span round and stared. It was the last thing I had expected to see: Rei was advancing and gently smiling at me, her hands held out in a gesture of welcome and conciliation. Without ever being sure exactly how it happened, I fell onto her shoulder and threw my arms around her, enjoying the soft feel of her hair falling across my cheek as I wept. It was a comfort, somehow, even after everything that had happened, to feel for a moment that I was secure and could rest for a while; the warmth of Rei's touch was a thread I could hang on to that kept me from plummeting into despair. She sighed and held me close against her so that I could hear her beating heart: each stroke reminded me of what I had been fighting for, the simple joy of sharing one's existence with another person and experiencing the world together.

After a while we broke apart, and Rei led me up onto the main deck. The cold evening air refreshed me; life was moving again. The ship was still, but the sea flowed gently around it, each wave giving it a friendly greeting before speeding away on its own journey. The sky was open and vast above me, and it gave me a sense of smallness that was oddly comforting in its own way, as though it meant that maybe my mistakes did not matter so much after all.

"Feeling any better?" Rei said as we sat down together below the rail.

"I hardly know," I said slowly. "To be honest, I don't know what I feel. It's as if the ability to feel has been drained out of me."

"Bereavement can have that effect on you," Rei said. I shot her a glance, wondering if she was thinking of something in particular; but this was not the time to ask. "Naru-chan… I'm sorry."

"I don't blame you, Rei-chan," I said firmly, even though I had not been at all sure of this until that moment. "It's my fault more than anyone's. I allowed all this to happen."

"You weren't to know that Thetis was going to turn on us."

I looked at her sharply. "You suspected her already, didn't you?" I said. "That time you visited me… and you said…."

"I warned you, yes," said Rei. "But it was only a suspicion. It can be very dangerous to get too deeply involved with the spirit world."

I shuddered. "What's happening now?" I said. "Where are the others? What are they doing? And… will everyone be all right?"

"Usagi and Ami are downstairs, restoring everyone who's been energy-drained," said Rei. "And I think Ami found your Pen. Don't worry; she'll keep it safe and give it back to you afterwards, some time when Usagi's not around."

"I don't deserve to have it back," I said bitterly. "Look at how much I've messed up. You and Mamoru – Thetis – and if you hadn't saved us back then, this could easily have been a lot worse."

"That's rather the point, though, isn't it?"

I looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I could see you, you know, when we were down there fighting," she said. "No, don't worry, I'm sure Usagi didn't see you. I just had a kind of sense that you might be there, and that made me look more closely."

"Well – what of it?"

Rei stared out into the distance. "I was just wondering how things looked from your perspective. It must have been almost like watching a film – not quite, of course, because you were actually _there_ and could feel everything going on around you. But what I mean is, you were watching everything, but you weren't really part of it. It was just happening."

"Yes," I said. "That's just how it was."

Rei nodded. "But can you imagine what it was like from _my_ perspective? When we were sitting there by the rail, watching the water come towering over us, and clutching each other so that if we had to die, we could at least be together – can you imagine what that felt like?"

There was a long silence.

"I suppose I can't," I said at last.

"You created something amazing," said Rei. "I think – I understand something now that I never understood before."

I looked at her curiously. "What's that?"

"You remember coming into the spirit world with me? Well, I've been there many times, but always on my own. Mostly there isn't any danger, but every time I know that if something goes wrong, I might not make it back. It can be thrilling, you know."

"Yes," I said slowly. "I imagine it can."

"Well, then, this is the same," she said. "It wouldn't be the same thing without there being real danger; you can't fake that. But it's the first time I've known what it's like to be in that kind of situation with someone else, to be sharing it. It's completely different."

"Different in what way?"

Rei took a deep breath and gazed upwards at the stars. "Usagi was right all along," she said. "You can't go through something like that without becoming friends. Because in that moment when you realise that any second now you may have to decide whether you would really give your life for another person – you don't have to think about it. You just _know_ you would, somehow. And I know Usagi would give hers for me too."

That brought on a big smile. "I'm sure that she would."

"Don't you _dare_ tell her I said that, though!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," I laughed.

I caught myself abruptly. This wasn't right; how could I be laughing so soon after Thetis had died? I hunched forward and burst into tears. Rei looked steadily down on me for a long while, and waited.

"It's all right," she said at last. "She wouldn't want you to be sad about her for ever."

"It just hurts so much," I said. "We'd been through so much together – and now I feel it's all tarnished because of the way she turned against you. I know you won't be able to believe this, Rei-chan – I know she was a spirit – but she was also my friend, before then. She tried so hard to warn me and stop me making mistakes. She really cared – at least, I thought she did. I don't know what to think any more."

"But what really hurts is that you feel you never treated her as a friend, and now it's too late to let her know that's how you thought of her."

I stared. "How do you know that?"

"I just felt it," said Rei. "But – if it's any comfort to you – she probably knew."

I took a deep breath. Rei was right; it _was_ a comfort. Somehow, it was as though a shadow hanging over me had departed; I was ready to stand up and move on.

There was a sudden change in the air. Below us, the noise of the engine started up again; we were under way. Usagi and Ami must have revived the captain and mate, and the ship was back in order.

"You see," said Rei. "It's going to be all right. We'll be home soon, and ready for another adventure in the morning – or whenever you feel like it. Take as much time as you need. But don't let the adventure stop here. Because then all this, the lessons we've learned, the pain and fear we've gone through, it will all be for nothing. And I won't forgive you easily if you let us down now."

I smiled and stood up, and walked to the front of the ship and leant over the rail to watch the sea. I didn't say goodbye to Rei; I didn't need to. She would slip back and rejoin the others, and Usagi would never find out that I had been on the cruise; but Rei would now always be there when I needed someone to talk to. For now, I was content to just stand alone and watch the slow drifting of the waves as they carried us to whatever the future held in store.

The ship was turning, and the sky lightened as I saw ahead of us the bright circle of haze that was the city coming steadily closer. My home. All my life had been spent in a few points of light somewhere in that miasma; seeing it from the outside was like returning from another world. And maybe that point of the other world is not found in what it is, but in what you bring back from it; even if that is nothing more than a new sense of appreciation and a hunger for tastes like intangible memories of the places you have been. The curtain of rain still hung between me and the city; from behind that barrier I was seeing it as the spirits see it, and that is an art that, once discovered, will always stay with you.

I relaxed, swaying with the motion of the waves, and gazed at the reflections of the lights in the water, continually shifting, whatever message they might have carried lost in a million fragments of ocean spray and liquid gold. In the distance, the city was bustling with life; I even began to hear the old familiar sound of the trains roaring on their way. Above, the stars were silent; they too were watching in quiet contemplation.

It was a beautiful night.


	35. Book II Prologue

**(o)**_  
><em>

**BOOK TWO – A SUMMER OF LOVE AND HATE**

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

The light at the end of the corridor dimmed and went out. There was silence for a moment, and then the soft creak of the floorboards as someone passed lightly over them, receding into the distance. The girl huddled in the shadows, waiting until even the echoes of the footsteps had passed into memory. Outside, as soon as it noticed that it was alone, the wind began to play, running gleefully down the street with arms outstretched, snapping branches and scraping its way through the gravel. A window that someone had left open fell into its frame with a thud.

The girl curled up and held herself still, with her arms clasped around her knees. She had to wait, just in case that thud had woken anyone up. Time passed.

After a long while, she lifted her head and looked around. The wind was still running past, but no sounds came from inside the house. Perhaps they really were all asleep now. Even so, she tiptoed slowly down the corridor, hardly daring to breathe, keeping a hand on the wall to steady herself just in case a ghost should leap out and surprise her.

She came to the foot of the attic stairs, and looked up. The stairs narrowed until they disappeared into a wooden doorway, a dusty and decrepit frame around a yawning black chasm. She went up, one careful step at a time, except for the eighth stair, which she had to lift herself over. She was not safe yet, not until she was all the way to the top.

When she reached the top, she crawled under the spiderweb that hung in the doorway. Housenka would notice if it was disturbed. And the attic space was her refuge, a place where she was safe even from Housenka, because no-one ever bothered to go up there.

The dust stirred as she crossed the floor, sending up spirals of tiny points that glittered like stars in the night sky. She loved to watch them. She never got to see the real stars, here in the city where there was always too much light. Could you wish on dust? She had often tried.

None of her wishes ever came true.

She crossed over to the old mattress and lay down, taking in deep breaths now that it was safe at last. The mattress buckled under her weight, and a spurt of fluff bled out. There was a soft rustling coming from a corner of the room: a mouse, perhaps. She didn't mind. Even if there were animals up here, they would not disturb her. Nor would they tell any tales.

She switched on the little reading lamp, and pulled the blanket over herself. She wasn't cold, but it made the refuge feel more cosy. It even felt a little safer – though of course she knew that if anyone _did_ come up here, creeping under the blanket would hardly evade them.

Her hand crawled under the mattress, prowling about until it found the little leather bag. She took the things out, one by one, and gazed at them. A necklace of wooden beads that had once belonged to her grandmother. A card from one of her friends at school, that time when she'd been in hospital – what would he think if he knew that she still kept it? An earring she had found one day behind the sofa cushions. She had no idea whose it was, but she kept it all the same, just for the warm feeling of having something could hold onto that was _hers_.

And, finally, the photograph she had cut out of the newspaper, the most recent of her possessions, only three months old. It showed a young girl, perhaps three years older than she was, smiling and posing for the cameras as she made the traditional sign of victory. Mika held the photograph so that their eyes met, and imitated the sign, and then laughed at her own foolishness. She couldn't make it look _cool_, as Sailor V did so effortlessly.

"Sailor V," she whispered, "when will you come and rescue me?"

She had asked this question every night since she cut out the photograph, but there had never been an answer. Perhaps there never would be.

She lay still, gazing at the photo, for as long as she dared. She could not allow herself to fall asleep up here. Just a little time in which to be alone, and then she would have to get back to work. They would be furious when they woke up in the morning, if she hadn't done her night's work. She crept out of the attic, and tiptoed carefully back down the stairs again.

Back in her own room, she went over to her desk and took out the doll she was working on. This one would be finished soon; she just needed to go over the colours and add some more small details. The mouth did not have enough expression; it looked as if there was no soul behind it. She propped the doll up against a large book, and stared at it until its face was fixed in her mind. Then her imagination overlaid it with a perfect image, its features full of life, eyes turned downwards with the weight of ancient sorrow, and a mouth that trembled as it tried to look the world in the face and smile.

She got out her paints and set to work mixing the colours. Perhaps this one wouldn't be too much trouble after all.

On the shelves all around her, a hundred eyes were watching her.

She didn't look round. But she knew they were there, all the same.


	36. Book II Ch 1 The Writer's Mother

**(o)**

**1  
>The Writer's Mother<br>**

The first ray of sunlight hit me right between the eyes. I groaned and rolled over. The last thing I wanted was to get out of bed. Summer was coming, and already the air was thick and bristly. The next day, we would be changing into our short-sleeved summer uniforms, and normally that would be a cause for excitement: the thrill of a new beginning, a change in routine, with new activities to enjoy, and the holidays to look forward to. But I couldn't enjoy any of that any more. All my thoughts were now caught up in my plans for Usagi's adventures; and those had fallen around me in ruins. I just couldn't carry on without Thetis. She had been my mentor, my voice of reason, and a shoulder to cry on when I needed one, little as she'd wanted to admit it.

I squirmed and wriggled. I had at least achieved something I could be glad about, surely? We'd had some wonderful adventures, and she had grown into her role as Sailor Moon, better than I had ever dared to hope. She still hated fighting, but she got a real kick out of knowing that people were grateful to her for saving them – and never more so than when she saved her favourite idol, Aino Minako, from a pair of assassins. In the space of only two months, she had developed from a timid little girl who cried at the merest scratch, into a strong and confident young woman. And _I_ had made that happen. And she would never know.

And yet, it was hard to make myself feel cheerful about it. I'd wanted so much more. I'd never dared to look ahead and imagine where the adventure might bring us in the end; but I knew that I wanted Usagi to keep on growing under my guidance, all the way until we were adults, and then – well, then I would have created something wonderful. I had no idea how we'd get to that point or what adventures we would have on the way, but there would still be plenty of time to work out all the details. But not any more. It was all over; and the story had only just gotten started.

I lay still for a long time, trying to forget. I knew that at some point I'd have to get up and face the day, but I wanted to put it off as long as possible. Then I heard voices downstairs. The shop wasn't open yet, so it had to be a personal visitor for Mother. Well, that was good; hopefully she'd be kept busy and wouldn't come stomping up to scold me for being still in bed.

Time wore on. My stomach growled. At last I felt I just _had_ to get up and get something to eat, just to keep it quiet. I rolled over, wobbled onto my feet, and looked in the mirror.

Wow. I looked _awful_. My hair was like a pile of autumn leaves that a dog has been rolling in. My eyes were blurry and wrinkled, and my mouth sagged like Usagi's when confronted with a maths problem.

I sighed. I couldn't go down looking like this, not when there was a visitor in the house. I grabbed the first clothes I found that didn't look awful together, a yellow sleeveless top and an orange skirt. I hastily washed my face and brushed my hair. A little too hastily; I could hear it tearing. Well, at least I was close to presentable. I think Mother has always been disappointed in me. Any jeweller wants to have a drop-dead gorgeous daughter to show off her jewels on.

As I went downstairs, I noted that the voices were still talking; the visitor had been here for quite a while. That was a little unusual; Mother is always so caught up in her work that she doesn't really have any close friends. Perhaps it was a business meeting.

I tiptoed towards the door to the lounge, and knocked.

"Ah, _there_ she is at last!" said Mother. "Come in, Naru!"

I entered the room – and stopped in astonishment when I saw that her visitor was Mizuno Ami. She was neatly arranged on the sofa, taking up very little space, but her smile somehow seemed to fill the whole room. She wore an orange T-shirt and a grass-green skirt, and her hair was pushed back with a polka-dotted band that cast a summery aura over her face. In short, she was every bit the daughter that Mother must have wished she had.

"Good morning, Naru-chan," Ami said with a polite nod.

I was so bewildered that I forgot to bow in return. "Good morning, Ami-chan."

"Oh, you two are on first-name terms already?" said Mother. "Naru, why haven't you ever told me you have such a lovely friend? You should have invited her over!"

"Sorry, Mother. I never knew you were so interested in my friends."

She gave me an icy stare, but her tone remained polite. "Well, sit down. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about. I'll go and make you both some tea."

I nodded and drifted over to the armchair opposite Ami. Mother strolled away humming to herself; she was in a better mood than I'd seen for quite a while.

Ami remained still and smiling, waiting for me to speak first. At last I said, "Looks like you and Mother also had a lot to talk about."

"Oh, yes!" said Ami. "She's a very interesting woman. I'm so impressed by the way she's built up the shop all by herself since your father's death – oh, sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's all right," I said quickly. "It was years ago."

"That's true," said Ami. "Still, when you lose a parent, the pain never really goes away."

I nodded, and then caught my breath. "Ami, is that..."

"What? Oh..." Ami flushed. "No, my parents are divorced. It's not the same thing."

"I see." I managed a weak smile. "Still, I guess that hurts too."

Ami bowed her head. "They didn't have a big argument or anything. Father just walked out on us one day and moved to Karuizawa. He's a landscape painter. He said life in the city was stifling him and he needed the mountain air. I haven't seen him since then. I just get a painting every year on my birthday, and that's all."

I could see that she was holding back the tears. I wanted to reach out to her, but Mother could have come back at any moment.

"So you've also been brought up by your mother," I said, to fill the silence.

"That's right."

"She must be a remarkable woman."

"Oh, she is." Ami was smiling again; clearly her mother was a subject she liked talking about. "That's why I've always tried my hardest at school, so that she can be proud of me..."

"Why would she not be?" I said. "Top grades in everything, special classes in English... I wish my mother could be proud of me like that."

Ami looked up at me. "Why are you sure she isn't?"

I snorted. "She's so caught up in her work, she just never has time for me. I guess she's disappointed that I don't show more interest, but you know, it's really not my thing." I sighed. "I mean, I _like_ jewellery, but there's got to be more to life. That's why I want to be a writer; I take after my father in that respect."

"Doesn't your mother approve of that?" said Ami. "She must have loved your father..."

"I don't know," I said. "She never talks about him."

"That could just show that she misses him a great deal as well. Or it could be that she thinks you wouldn't want to be troubled with thinking about him."

"Maybe." I yawned and stretched myself. "Anyway, Ami-chan, I'm sure you didn't come here to talk about Mother."

"Well, no." She looked a little sad. "I just think it's a shame you two don't get on."

"Yeah, well, what are you going to do about it?" I grimaced. I knew I shouldn't be so rude, when Ami was only trying to be helpful. But it hurt. It hurt because I knew she was right.

"Sorry." She looked a little nervous. "Naru-chan... I need to talk to you in private."

"Well, sure," I said after a pause. "Let's wait for Mother to bring in the tea, though."

Ami nodded, and we made idle chat for a while. I asked her how she was getting on with the latest assignment – Izumi-sensei had given us another Keats poem to read, and, to be honest, I hadn't even looked at it yet. I was secretly hoping that before Ami left, I could get her to help me with some of the hard words. She smiled; I think she guessed my intention. This was the main reason people wanted to be friends with her, and she was used to it by now. But at least with me and Usagi, she didn't mind it being that way, as she knew there was a lot more to our friendship than that.

When Mother brought in a tray with two cups of tea and two slices of cake, I thanked her and took the tray upstairs. Ami followed me into my room, and carefully shut the door so that we would not be overheard.

I relaxed on the bed. "So, Ami-chan, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"I think you know that," she said, carefully poising herself on my chair. "What are you going to do next? Now that Thetis has – well, you know –"

"She's dead," I said curtly.

Ami bowed her head and was silent for a while. I turned away and sighed.

"Ami-chan, I just don't know what to say. It all seems so hopeless. I don't know if I can go on with the adventure any more, now that I'm on my own..."

"You're not alone, Naru-chan. You've got me. And Rei-chan."

I was about to make a biting remark about Rei, but I remembered how she'd comforted me on the boat, and I held it back. "Where is Rei, anyway?"

"She's gone to a mountain retreat for purification."

"Oh." I stared at the wall. "I suppose she feels guilty, after –"

"I don't think she blames herself," Ami said gently. "But she has to take responsibility for her own choices. Even if she did the only thing that could be done. So... I don't think it will be a heavy burden, but she has to purge herself of it all the same."

I nodded. "So... should we wait until she comes back?"

"Well..." Ami came to a stop.

I turned to face her again. "What is it?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but... I thought it would be nice to give her a surprise. Have the next adventure already ready for when she gets back. That would let her see that you're coping with things. She's been worried about you."

"Oh, has she?" I snapped. "And I suppose she told you I need to be looked after!"

Ami looked so downcast that my anger melted away in an instant. "Please don't be upset, Naru-chan," she said. "Rei means well. She just wants to know you're okay – because we're friends."

"I guess so," I said with a sigh. "Still, I really don't see how the adventure is supposed to carry on from here."

"Why not?" said Ami.

"Well... Jadeite..." I clenched my fists and looked down at the floor.

"What happened to him?"

"I... I'm sorry, Ami-chan," I spluttered. There was nothing else to be said.

And I think it wasn't until that moment, when I was faced with having to explain it to someone else, that the reality of what I had done finally sunk in. I had killed him. I was... well, no. He hadn't been a _person_. Whatever else it was, it wasn't murder. He was just one of my fictional characters. I had created him, and I could destroy him at any time I chose.

And yet – it just didn't feel _right_ any more. Jadeite may not have been real, but he had walked and talked and acted just like a real man. And now he was gone. All the possibilities there had been in his character, the potential for him to change and develop – maybe even to redeem himself – that was all gone. It was just as Thetis had warned me, that night when she pleaded with me to let him live. And I hadn't listened. She had been my friend, and even after her death, and I'd taken away from her the one thing she had wanted most.

I must have been lost in tears for a long time. When I came back to my senses, I was in a kneeling position on the floor; my eyes itched, and my head drooped as if it was trying to fall off my shoulders.

Ami was kneeling beside me. She touched me gently on the shoulder. "I understand."

"Do you?" I said bitterly. "How could you understand?"

"I know that you must have mixed feelings about... what you did," she said cautiously. So she knew what I'd done? I suppose it must have been pretty obvious.

"It's natural that you should feel that way," she went on. "Jadeite was the villain, but it still can't have been easy to kill him. You'll never know now what might have happened..."

"Do... do you think I did the right thing, Ami-chan?"

Ami gave a deep sigh. "Naru-chan, most of the time there isn't just one 'right thing'. Sometimes you just have to make your choice and make the best of it. And you have made your choice. Not even the Pen could bring him back now."

I gulped and nodded. "Well, then, it's over, isn't it?"

"Is it?" said Ami. "Listen, Naru-chan. Jadeite was just the starter villain. Do you know what I mean by that?"

I shook my head.

"Well, in most stories, you don't get to see the whole of the enemy hierarchy all at once. That's partly to keep the reader guessing, but also because the heroine is still getting used to her own powers, so the focus should be on her development. So you start with a minor member of the organisation, without much personality of his own. And then –"

I wiped my eyes and looked round at Ami. No matter how much time I spent with her, she could always surprise me with her strange areas of knowledge. This was the kind of thing they don't teach you in school at all. I wondered if she had absorbed it by reading thousands of manga and novels and picking them apart to find out what they all had in common.

"Yes?" I said hesitantly. "And what then?"

"Then it's time for the next villain to appear. Someone who has more of an individual personality than Jadeite. The conflict between Sailor Moon and the Dark Kingdom becomes a clash of strategies as she tries to adjust to this new enemy. In order to win against him, she will have to _understand_ him, even learn to empathise with him..."

"And... does that mean he can be redeemed?"

"It's not impossible. That would be a good ending."

I smiled through my tears. Ami's words had brought back hope when I thought there was none left. Then I caught myself and frowned.

"But, Ami-chan... I don't know how to create someone like that!" I cried. "What should his personality be like? How do I make sure he can be redeemed?"

"Just trust yourself, Naru-chan. I believe in you."

I shook my head. "I can't trust myself any more. Not after what happened to Thetis and Jadeite."

Ami held onto my shoulder. "This time, you have me to help you, remember."

"I know," I said. "Even so, I'm not sure I can..."

"Then," Ami said with a glint in her eye, "may I try?"


	37. Book II Ch 2 A Creation of Genius

**(o)**

**2  
>A Creation of Genius<strong>

I stared at Ami. I was too surprised to think about whether I was being rude. She just responded with a sweet smile, like a little girl hoping to be given a treat.

"Well?" she said at last.

"Um..."

"Is something wrong, Naru-chan?"

"Well... Thetis told me the Pen would only work for its true owner."

"I see," Ami said slowly. "And have you tested that out?"

"Of course not!" I gave a nervous laugh. "Ami-chan... you know I can't let anyone else know about the Pen. No-one knows except me and you and Rei." And I didn't exactly _choose_ to tell Rei, though I wasn't going to make a point of it. Probably Ami knew the whole story already. She and Rei were very close; after all, they had known each other already when Usagi and I met them.

"Let me have a try, then," said Ami. "Please."

How could I refuse? I mean, it's not as though I would trust just anyone with a magical artefact that can alter reality itself; but I knew that I could trust Ami. I had already entrusted the story to her in a way, when I let her make suggestions for how the plot should go; and her suggestions had worked. There had been a few bad moments, like when Usagi disappeared on the cursed bus; but we got her back. And now that it was over, it was just part of a memorable adventure, an episode I could look back on with satisfaction as I remembered how we had all shown our inner strength and overcome our challenges. So, as I handed the Pen over to Ami, I never worried that she might use it against me, or try to keep it. Usagi might have done that – if she had known about its power, of course. But never Ami.

Still, she took the Pen slowly and gravely, as if the full weight of my trust was holding her down in her seat. She sat still for about a minute, touching it so gingerly that it might have slipped through her fingers at any moment.

"Go on," I said. "It's okay, Ami-chan, honestly it is."

"I... I was just trying to think of what to write," she said, turning away so that I couldn't see her eyes.

"Just start with something small," I said. "That's what I did, the first time... that's how I ended up creating Luna."

Ami smiled. She was very fond of Luna, the cat who now lived with Usagi's family.

"All right," she said. "I have an idea."

"Oh?"

She writhed in her seat. "No, I can't tell you. You know, Naru-chan... the writer can't enjoy a story the same way the reader can. Their enjoyment comes from imagining the reader's reaction. And for that to work, it has to come as a surprise."

"I see. Shall I look away, then?"

Ami blushed. "Um... yes, it might help."

So I turned away. But, after I had been sitting facing the wall for a minute or two, the urge to look round was just too strong. This wouldn't do. I had to find a way to distract myself. I got out my Keats homework and exercise books, and stared at the opening lines of the poem.

_"__Much have I travell'd in the realms of gold,  
>And many goodly states and kingdoms seen..."<em>

_Skritch._ Ami was writing so furiously, I could almost see drops of ink fly out like multicoloured sparks. I drummed my fingers against the desk, and stared at the poem. I understood each individual word, or I thought I did; but what were these "realms of gold"? Did it mean actual countries made of gold, and if so, what on earth were the people like who lived there? I glanced round at Ami, but she was concentrating so intently that I didn't like to disturb her.

After a while, she sighed and relaxed. She must have worn herself out through writing so hard. I took the opportunity to ask her about that line.

"Realms of gold?" Ami said with a smile. She looked like she was glad to take a breather. Finding just the right words to make the things you want happen takes a lot of exertion. _I_ feel apprehensive about it, and I've done it many times before – though always with Thetis' help.

"It means the worlds of fantasy and adventure. Like the places we've been exploring with our story, Naru-chan."

"But we've only been using real places..."

"Yes, but within the story, those places aren't the same as in the real world. Like the Crown Arcade: in the real world it's just like any other game centre. But within the story, it's the location of a magical secret base. And if you think about it, that changes the whole nature of the building. It becomes fantastical itself, because it has such a secret hidden within it –"

"And what's that got to do with gold?"

"There was a legend about a land where gold was as plentiful as dirt... and so it comes to mean places that only exist in the realm of imagination."

I gave her a bemused frown. "But the poem says that he's travelled there..."

"Yes, through the power of storytelling. You, of all people, should hardly need me to tell you about _that_." Ami's laugh was warm and encouraging.

I stopped and thought about this for a while. Ami kept her eyes on me, and then turned away and carried on writing.

That was right. I didn't need to think about these things in the abstract any more. I was a storyteller – I already had a completed adventure under my belt! I could remember, as clearly as if it were yesterday, that first time I had seen Usagi transformed, the one time Sailor Moon and I had met face to face; I only had to close my eyes and I could see the whole scene again, the way Usagi's look of fear transformed to undisguised joy when she knew that she had saved me. _I_ had created that. And so, looking now at the moment, I felt it was describing something that I knew from deep inside my soul.

My eyes moved down to the next lines.

_"Round many western islands have I been  
>Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold."<em>

I sighed. Ami was busy again, but this time I just had to interrupt.

"Ami-chan, who or what is Apollo?"

Ami looked up and pursed her lips thoughtfully. If she was annoyed by the interruption, she didn't show it. Dependable as always.

"Apollo was the Greek god of the sun, but he was also the god of music and poetry, the leader of the Muses. You could say he's our very own patron deity."

_Ours?_ I blinked at Ami. But – after all, she was holding the Pen. Right now, she was just as much a storyteller as I was. Did it matter that this wasn't what she had dreamed about all her life, as it was for me? Not at all. We were a team. I had chosen her.

"Maybe we should set up a shrine to him," I said with a laugh.

"I suppose we could..."

"You don't sound very sure."

"I was just following a train of thought. Apollo was associated with the idea of classical beauty, the beauty of order as opposed to chaos. Another poet once said of him: _A bitter god to follow, a beautiful god to behold..._"

Ami leant back in her seat, her eyes glistening. It was rather frightening.

"What is it, Ami-chan?" I said at last.

"It's giving me an idea," she said. "Bitter, yet beautiful..."

And all at once her head was down and she was writing rapidly. It was a clear signal that this time, I was not to interrupt.

I tried to concentrate on the poem once more. But Ami's words kept echoing in my brain, and my eyes ran over the lines, barely taking them in.

_"Oft of one wide expanse had I been told  
>That deep-browed Homer ruled as his demesne..."<em>

At last Ami laid down the Pen, and sank back with a deep sigh.

I caught my breath. I was almost afraid to ask the question.

"Well?" I said. "Have... have you got somewhere?"

"I think so," Ami said. Then she dropped the Pen, stood up and threw out her arm, and cried, "_Dark Power, Makeup!_"

A white light gleamed somewhere under the floor. Ami was silhouetted in a circle of whirling fire, while the rest of the room was cast into shadow, in the colours of a cloudy sunset. A flurry of black rose petals spiralled around her, growing so thick that I could barely see her; and she span round as if the petals were dragging her along in their dance, like the spirits in the dark forest, taking her into a world of dreams. And then the light faded, and the petals began to dissipate; and Ami stood transformed. Her costume was like her usual Sailor Mercury outfit, but its bright blues were faded to a dull indigo, and she wore a black bow and earrings.

I stood still, too astonished for words.

Ami blinked as the daylight started to return, and looked around, as if she were no longer sure of the world around her. I jumped up and put my arms round her to steady her.

"Ami-chan! Talk to me! Can you hear me?"

Her eyes glowed a deep purple, and she smiled a sharp-toothed smile.

"I'm here, Naru-chan. It's still me."

"Thank goodness! But, Ami-chan, what _is_ all this?"

"My new transformation. You transformed into Queen Beryl to command Jadeite, didn't you?"

"Yes, but –"

"So I need a villain form as well. Call me Akumi."

"Akumi." I ran my tongue over the strange syllables, trying to get used to them. "But you still look like you..."

"We can make use of that. You'll see."

I stared at Ami. "Come on, tell me what you're planning."

She laughed. "Why don't you tell your plans to Usagi, Naru-chan? The story means so much more if she doesn't know it's a story, right? But that means that _you_ have to know everything. There are no surprises for you. So... let me give you a surprise, just this once."

"Well, all right," I said, after an uneasy silence. "I trust you, Ami-chan."

"Good." She took a deep breath. "All right, time for the next stage. You should sit down, Naru-chan. This may take a while. And you should transform into Queen Beryl, of course."

"Of course."

So I transformed and sat down, rather uncomfortably, for my chair was not built to hold someone of Queen Beryl's stature. Ami was writing again. She never once looked up; she was lost in the realm of fantasy.

"All right," she said at last. "Watch this, Naru-chan."

Watch _what_? Nothing was happening. Then I realised – a mist was moving over the surface of the mirror, just like when I had created Jadeite. Unlike that time, though, Ami was not going to make him appear first and then start moving him – somehow I knew that. She was Ami, and she could count on getting things right the first time.

The mist was swirling, writhing, tearing apart to reveal a glint of light behind it. At once, I heard the words of the poem running through my head –

_"Then felt I like some watcher of the skies  
>When a new planet swims into his ken –"<em>

And as the darkness turned into light, a face came forward out of the shadows. A stern face, not exactly _handsome_ in the way that Jadeite had been, but full of determination and power. He stepped out of the mirror, his posture grand and confident. Waves of red-brown hair floated down below his shoulders. His expression was grim, his mouth turned into a contemptuous sneer. But deep within his sapphire eyes I caught a glimpse of something softer, a certain dry humour or nonchalance, an air of not caring what life came up with to throw at him.

Slowly, carefully, I rose to my feet. Queen Beryl had towered over Jadeite, but Nephrite was nearly on my level, and I had to put all the effort I could into my posture, to make sure he knew who was in charge.

"I am Queen Beryl of the Dark Kingdom."

Nephrite bowed with a quick and elegant movement. "Your servant."

"And this is Akumi – she will be your supervisor."

Nephrite turned towards Ami, looking over her and assessing her. Evidently he found her satisfactory, for he nodded before turning back to me. "And what is my mission?"

"We have to locate the Silver Crystal," said Ami. "With its power, the Dark Kingdom will be able to rise again –"

She gave me a wink as if to say, "You carry on from there."

"The Crystal is hidden somewhere on this hateful Earth," I said. "It must have come to light here in Tokyo. Two humans, who are using the code names of Zoisite and Kunzite, are trying to find it. We must get to the Crystal before they do."

"Mere humans? They will be no challenge at all."

"We mustn't underestimate the humans," I said quickly. "That was Jadeite's mistake. He ran into a group of human mages calling themselves the sailor warriors – curse them!"

"Are they also trying to find the Silver Crystal?"

"We don't know what their purpose is yet," said Ami.

"Their purpose doesn't matter," I said. "They are enemies. They must be stopped."

Nephrite nodded. "I shall defeat them for you immediately."

"Don't act too hastily. It would be unwise to show our hand too soon. The sailor warriors may believe that the war is over now that Jadeite is defeated. If we wait until the right time –"

"They will not be ready for me. I shall crush them."

I glanced at Ami. _Are you prepared to take on Thetis' role and keep him in check? Because I'm not sure that I can handle him..._

"The problem is that we don't know who the sailor warriors really are," said Ami. "If we knew that, then we could strike at them while they are unprepared."

"That will be an easy task for me," said Nephrite, clicking his heels together. "Your Majesty, I beg leave to depart and commence my mission."

"I will show you to your quarters," said Ami. "Oh, and we'll have to get you some clothes to wear in your human disguise, so that you don't stand out too much."

I shot her a look. Just how much of this had she prepared beforehand? I supposed that by "quarters" she meant Thetis' old den under the Crown Arcade; but still – had she already got Nephrite's clothes ready for him?

Still – I had to trust her. I remembered her look of apprehension when I had first given her the Pen. That was completely gone now; she had fully grown into her role as storyteller and sidekick. Now that she could see her plans start to fall into place, that look had changed to one of deep satisfaction, like a runner winning gold for the first time in her life. I couldn't take that away from her. This was her story now, just as much as it was mine and Usagi's.

"Very well," I said. "Akumi, Nephrite, you may go."


	38. Book II Ch 3 The Palace of Light

**(o)**

**3  
>The Palace of Light<br>**

_(Nephrite)_

I sat still and looked around. Light struck my eyes and constructed the world around me: patches of colour with shading that gave them shape, so they could be interpreted as physical objects. I was aware of change in my vision, and so I knew that I existed in time. The colours of the world grew gradually darker, and the shadows of objects grew longer. This, then, was what humans called _evening_. To them, the passing of time is so natural that they live in it without feeling any need to understand it; but I had only awoken two days ago, as a human would put it. I had to build up my picture of the world before I could begin to move around in it.

I had received instructions from Queen Beryl and her minion, Akumi. I was to discover the location of the legendary Silver Crystal, without allowing the sailor warriors to learn about my mission and interfere with it. It might sound simple put like that – but it would require me to deal with humans, and they were so complex that I had not fully understood them yet.

I moved my muscles, pushing down on the floor so that I lifted myself into a standing position, and walked around the room. Walking is easy; but it helped to remind myself that I knew how to do it. Then I had one less thing I had to keep on my mind. I would have to go out and get around the city; but I had time to work up to that. I stopped and pondered. Loose pieces of knowledge appeared into my memory, as if bubbling up from under a black sea; but with no connections between them, nothing to keep them anchored, they faded again if I did not reach out and grasp them. I knew, somehow, that I would have to get a car: I could see in my mind what a car was, though it was something I had not yet understood. This must have come from the primordial knowledge that was put into me at the time of my creation.

I spent some more time retrieving memories, until I knew that, in order to appear as a respectable customer, I should straighten out my uniform and smooth down my hair. I glanced at myself in the mirror. I certainly had a striking appearance – not what humans would usually call "handsome", but I had flowing hair that cast waves of shadow over my faces, making the features softer and deeper, giving them an air of mystery. Good. This was how a General of the Dark Kingdom ought to present himself to the mortal world.

When at last I felt ready, I stepped out onto the street and headed north, over the crest of the hill. There was a woman on the other side of the street, walking with two young children. The girl pointed and shrieked as I passed, and the woman turned and stared at me. I ignored her. She was of no importance; small wonder that she should gape as a glimpse of something grand beyond the grasp of her imagination strode across her life for a moment.

At last the dull suburban houses came to an end, and ahead of me a vast road lay groaning and shuddering. I stopped for a while to breathe in the air with its intricate mixture of scents, and the sweet music of confusion and chaos. It was a symphony that might have been arranged just for me to listen to it, while all around, the mortals hurried past as if they were afraid of its beauty and splendid terror.

I stopped one man and asked him the way to the nearest car dealer, and soon I found myself in a small yard, lined with machines that stood gleaming, like a bird showing its plumage, as they tried to attract new owners. I glanced them over. There were too many, and they were all the same: these were machines that ordinary men might own. Rich men, to be sure; but wealth is no guarantee of poetry in the soul, or of understanding of concerns above the petty business of everyday life.

So I stepped inside and spoke to the dealer.

"Excuse me," I said – for my store of knowledge told me that this is how one speaks to mortals; no dignity is lost by the condescension, for the fact remains that you could destroy them at any moment you chose. "I need a car."

The dealer made a suitably low bow. "What sort of car are you looking for, sir?"

"One that would be suitable for a commander under the great Queen Beryl, mistress of the Dark Kingdom and future empress of the world."

He smiled blankly; I think he was mesmerised by the sheen of my uniform.

"That is... a little outside my ordinary experience, but I think I can find you something to serve the purpose. Money no object, I presume?"

"I am glad that you understand me."

"Come this way, then, sir." He unlocked a door at the back of the shop. It led to an iron spiral stairway, and we descended to an underground level. Here, too, there were many cars lined up in silence; but I could see that this was where he kept those that were something out of the ordinary. The dealer looked around for a while, and then led me to a red car, a Ferrari Testarossa, at the very back of the room. I glanced down at it, not allowing any sign of approval to show on my face. But I knew at once that I wanted it. It was small and sleek, its bonnet leaning forward as if in a hurry to meet the world head-on.

"I'll take it." I tapped my pocket, and a wad of money appearead. And then, casually, just as I was turning to leave, I added, "I wonder... have you ever heard of the Silver Crystal?"

"The... what now?"

"Clearly not." I tutted. "In that case, can you tell me where I should inquire?"

He spoke rapidly as if desperate to be of service. "If it's anything concerning crystals, you could try to get an audience with Kunzite, though it's not easy..."

"Why should that be difficult?"

This startled him so much that, for once, he looked up into my eyes. "You haven't heard of Kunzite?"

"I'm new in these parts."

"I thought he was known all over the world. He's a billionaire jewellery dealer, but he's infamously reclusive. They say he keeps himself locked up in his tower and won't stir unless a deal comes up that he absolutely can't miss – but when one does, he never misses it. How he manages to get his information without stirring from his tower is anyone's guess. Some say there's dark magic involved."

"Fascinating." The picture was becoming clearer. This man was clearly a minor character whose sole function was to feed me plot-relevant information; so I kept hold of everything he said and filed it carefully away in my memory.

"So, how _would_ I get to meet this Kunzite?"

"I can't help you there. If you don't already know, it's probably not going to happen."

I snorted. "He will meet me, I think."

"I wish you luck, sir. But don't count on it."

I handed over the wad of money, and in return received the keys to my new car. Now that it became necessary, I had no difficulty retrieving from my sea of knowledge the details of how to drive. I sat in the car for a long time, thinking. Where should I go next? If I could not seek out Kunzite directly, then it was essential that I make sure he heard of me and wanted to find me.

Well, I'm not one to believe in black magic, so from what I had heard, Kunzite had to have a network of informers. I would pose as a rival businessman – naturally, one of immense wealth, the sort of man who believes he can get anything he wants just by finding the right people to throw money at. The news that such a man was searching for the Silver Crystal would certainly be of interest to Kunzite, if I understood anything at all about the situation.

The first step was to get a business card. That proved to be of little difficulty: a simple inquiry led me to a firm that would answer my needs. The name I created for myself was Sanjouin Masato of Osaka, my profession loosely described as "trader". I would be someone who had fingers in many pies, who picked up and dropped new business concerns as easily as a teenager picks up and drops new hobbies – and make or crush lives in the process.

I then inquired after local jewellers, and was told that the largest jeweller in the area was Narita Masanobu, proprietor of the Palace of Light, Roppongi, just beyond the expressway.

Nothing in my knowledge prepared me for the first sight of the expressway. Along both sides of the road, lights burst out of every window as the shopkeepers played the game of snaring passing pedestrians; in between was a wide stream of darkness, lit only by headlights flashing so rapidly that they seemed to connect into an undulating ribbon of light. Above the street was the expressway itself, a huge chain of flimsy-looking metal boxes that rattled and boomed as the cars bounced across them. The air was heavy with the smell of modernity.

I stood and drank in the chaos like delightful music. Then I set off down the street towards my destination. Even from a distance, there was no mistaking the Palace: a sheet of white light streamed from its windows, outshining everything around it as the sun outshines the stars. When I reached the window, I saw that bathing in its glow were points of blue and gold and silver, glimmering from a thousand rings and bracelets all placed so that the light bounced off them and formed an intricate maze of spider threads, catching the eye and leading it in every direction until you could not help but stand there mesmerised.

It was deep into the evening, but there was still a throng of customers, most of them young girls, standing and gazing at the jewels with numb expressions, as though the sensation was a fuel from which they were recharging their batteries. I threaded my way through them; a few of them turned to stare at me as I passed, but then remained, just as still, staring in the direction I had just been in long after I had moved on.

At the counter, I presented my business card and asked for an interview with Narita. The cashier bowed deeply and scurried off, anxious not to waste a second when dealing with such an important customer. If my arrival should prove to herald a profitable deal, there might even be a reward for the one who brought me to Narita's attention. At any rate, Narita would take note of the efficiency and courtesy with which I was treated.

I was shown into an elevator, and we ascended to the seventh floor. I found myself in an antechamber with elegant walls of dark polished wood, and panels of lighter colour to make the atmosphere more welcoming. Hanging on the wall at intervals were beautiful landscape paintings, showing rivers running down from the mountains through avenues of sakura trees. One picture was different from the rest: a group portrait that showed, I guessed, the proprietor with his beautiful wife and daughter, a girl of around twelve. I sat down to wait in a wooden chair, its back made of beams twisted together in a symmetrical knot. Everything about the room showed that Narita was not only a man of immense wealth, but of good aesthetic taste.

"Narita-sama will see you now." The cashier bowed deeply, and then returned to his duties on the lower floor.

I strode into the office, making sure that Narita should see at a glance that I was a man of no less worth than himself.

He was seated behind a mahogany desk. He looked at least ten years older than in the picture; his hair had receded and greyed, and his face was venerable and wrinkled. He bowed.

"Welcome to my humble place of business, Sanjouin-sama. How may I help you?"

I took a seat and smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Narita-san. I am new to these parts."

"From Osaka, I see from your card. How is the old city getting along?"

I gave him the answer he wanted to hear. "The wheels of commerce keep trundling along. You are from Osaka yourself?"

"Yes, though I haven't been back there for eight years now."

I beamed; I supposed it was expected of me. "It's a pleasure to meet an old neighbour. I hope this means we'll be able to understand each other."

"I hope so indeed." He seemed a little hesitant. "I must admit, Sanjouin-sama, I wouldn't have placed you as Osakan from your accent..."

"I do not pick up accents easily. I have always kept largely to my own company. The common men have such difficulty understanding people like you and me."

Narita nodded. "Of course. I meant no offence."

"None taken, I assure you." I relaxed in my seat. "So, how is business?"

"Thriving, as you have no doubt seen on your way up." He smiled for the first time. "The Palace has steadily grown in size and ambition since I set it up. The Tokyoites are not great businessmen; I do not feel crowded out as I did back at home."

"You have no regrets about moving, then?"

"A few." His face sagged, as though it were a mask that he was struggling to hold up; beneath it he looked dishevelled and careworn. "Old friends that I lost touch with... but I had one great friend, and he is gone where there is no getting in touch with him. After his death, I knew that I had to get away. There were just too many memories."

I nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry for your loss, Narita-san."

"It never fully heals," he said. "Still, after so many years, perhaps the pain has grown less, a little. We planned this store together, you know, Ayumu and I. It was our shared dream. A palace of light, made of jewels that would shine like the stars in the night sky. For his sake, I have tried to realise that dream, because I know that it's what he would have wanted."

"It is a beautiful achievement."

"Thank you." He smiled again. "So, what brought you to visit me?"

"Shall we say that I have been thinking of going into the jewellery business myself?"

"Indeed? Then I wish you luck, Sanjouin-sama. If there is any assistance I can give..."

I smiled. "There might be."

"Oh?"

I leant forward. "You see, I have no desire to compete with you, Narita-san. A palace of light, a work of art in itself, a museum where people can stand and wonder at the beauty around them – this is a worthy dream. But it is not my dream. I want to build my own special collection, one that the general public will never be invited to see, a collection of unique jewels with their own stories and legends..."

I could see on Narita's face that he was keenly interested. "You and I are more alike one another than I thought at first, Sanjouin-sama. I don't really deal in that kind of thing, but I have often thought... if I could realise my own dreams, then perhaps one day..."

"Perhaps. I hope your dream comes true, Narita-san."

"Thank you. And if I hear of anything that I think might interest you, I'll get in touch."

"Indeed," I said. "In that case, if I should happen to get the opportunity to send any business your way... you understand me?"

He nodded. He certainly did understand. I was offering to make it worth his while to do my investigating for me. This agreement reached, I bowed and made my way out of the store. But I did not immediately get back into my car.

It was just common sense. If Narita was the leading jeweller in the local area, then Kunzite would surely be keeping tabs on him. And it would be obvious from my car that I was the kind of visitor it was worth taking notice of. The spy would be somewhere close at hand. I only had to catch him, and he would lead me directly to Kunzite.

I could not take too long, as I had to make sure he did not suspect that I knew he was there. Still, by the time I got back into my car, I had taken a good look around and narrowed the possible suspects down to three. And only one of those three was following the car with his eyes as I drove away.

I studied him intently in the wing mirror. He was little more than a boy, with a look about him that was full of the arrogance of youth. Why do otherwise intelligent minds always seem to show such lack of discernment when it comes to choosing their subordinates? Queen Beryl was the same, employing this Akumi girl to wait on me. Is it because they think a child will be more easily swayed to their will than an adult? Then that is their mistake. The young are indeed susceptible; but that only meant it would be easier for me to work my will upon him, to turn him into my own pawn to be played against Kunzite without his being aware of it.

I drove rapidly away, back to the room Akumi had picked out for me. She would be there waiting for me, I knew it. She returned each day to check up on me and ask for news. And this time I would have plenty to tell her.

"I see," she said once I had finished my story. "So you think this young man may be a way to get to Kunzite..."

"I do indeed. Do I have your permission to continue with my investigation?"

She thought for a while. "No, not immediately. The sailor warriors must also be taken into account. We have two enemies. And sometimes two enemies may be better than one..."


	39. Book II Ch 4 The Stars' Tennis Balls

**(o)**

**4  
>The Stars' Tennis Balls<strong>

When I arrived at school on Monday, there was only one topic of conversation, and that was the incident on the cruise ship. Many of our friends were Aino Minako fans – but regardless of one's allegiance, this was the biggest news there had been for a long time. And, naturally, it spread around the school in many different versions. Everyone agreed on the basic facts: the ship had been struck by a sudden whirlpool, even though the rest of the bay remained calm. Everyone on board was thrown around mercilessly, though thankfully no-one had been killed... except for one man who was found afterwards below deck with a knife in his back.

But no-one could agree on what this all meant. Umino, naturally, was convinced that aliens had tried to abduct Minako, but she had defeated them with the power of her music. Junko insisted that the phenomenon could be adequately explained by the equations of fluid dynamics, and so there was no need to look for a supernatural explanation at all. But most people said it was another of Sailor Moon's battles. I was sure that no-one had actually seen her on the ship – they had all been unconscious! Yet somehow, it was as if they just _knew_. I suppose it wasn't too surprising. For weeks now, the papers had been full of news of the sailor warriors, and interviews with people who claimed to have seen them, even if they never could seem to agree on the details. Everyone knew about them now. They were just _there_, in the same way that the expressway was just there. They were part of our world. And I had created them. Is it really bad of me if I admit that I went around all day with a warm feeling in my heart?

I should have been more worried. In all the fuss about Sailor Moon, no-one seemed to know or care that a human assassin had tried to kill Minako. During the lunch break, I grabbed a copy of the _Tokyo Shimbun_ from Ami, and hunted until I found what it had to say about that.

Minako was relegated to a small column at the foot of a page. It reported that her chauffeur, Saitou Sugao, was in police custody. He had admitted that the assassin, Ueda Shirou, had been paid to kill Minako, and had confessed his own role in the conspiracy. But as to who was behind the plot, and for that matter who had killed Ueda, he remained obstinately silent.

I took Ami aside and showed her the column.

She read it with an intense frown on her face, while I waited.

"I see," she said at last.

"What do you think, Ami-chan?"

"Well, there must be someone behind them," she said slowly. "So either he's found a way to ensure Saitou's silence... or perhaps Saitou really doesn't know who he is."

"What?" I said. "How could he not know who paid him?"

"Maybe they never met directly. Maybe Ueda acted as a go-between. Or maybe they only met in a dark room..."

I laughed. "Have you been reading too many crime novels?"

Ami blushed. "I'm just trying to work this out. Trying to think like he would think..."

She stared into the distance. I waited, to give her time to gather her thoughts.

"Ami-chan?" I said after a while. "What are we going to do?"

"We?" Ami gave me a crooked smile. "I thought you had doubts about this adventure."

"Huh?" I said. "You mean... what I said yesterday? But that was when we were talking about Usagi..." I lowered my voice and glanced around just in case she had followed us out.

"But it's all part of the same story, isn't it?" said Ami. "Usagi wants to protect Minako, just as much as we do. You know that she's in danger, and you can't just look away from that."

"No, of course not!"

"And that's because you _know_ you might be able to help. And it's the same with Usagi."

I screwed up my face. "I don't know. She's only helping people that we're putting in danger in the first place..."

Ami shook her head and tapped the paper. "But look at how many people are talking about all this. You've given them something they can believe in."

I had a very good look around to make sure no-one was close to us.

"But, Ami-chan, it's all a fake..."

"Does that matter?" Ami said with a smile. "You know, as I was walking to school today, I noticed something. _I've_ started to feel better about the world, just because I know that Sailor Moon is there, fighting for me. And I knew from the start that it was all fake. You've created a really powerful story, Naru-chan."

I shook my head. "I don't feel that way. I've made tons of mistakes –"

"Yes, but things have always worked out in the end."

"Mostly." I couldn't meet her gaze just then. "Except for Thetis."

There was a silence.

"I'm sorry," said Ami. "But, you know, I don't think that was your fault –"

"There's no point in arguing about that."

"No." Ami took a deep breath. "So, getting back to the question of what to do next..."

I shook my head again. "I can't keep all this in my head any more. It's all too complex."

"Well, then, shall we try to keep it as simple as we can? Let's try to separate the story threads – Sailor Moon's thread and Minako's."

"How can we do that?" I said. "If they attack her again, how can we protect her without Sailor Moon?"

"I don't think that's likely," said Ami. "The incident will have sent a clear message to the person behind the attack, so he knows now that if he tries something like that again, he'll be up against the sailor warriors. If I were him, I'd stay out of sight for a while."

I managed a weak smile. "I certainly hope you're right."

Ami smiled back. "Don't you trust me, Naru-chan?"

"Well... oh, I just don't like leaving it as a loose end, that's all."

"In other words, you _do_ want to continue the adventure."

I paused.

"It's like you said – I can't help it," I said. "I have this power. I know I can do something."

"Such as what?"

"Well..." I stared down at the floor. "I could use the Pen. I could write that the name of the guilty person appeared in my notebook –"

Ami shook her head. "We know that wouldn't work. Remember the incident with the buses? The Pen wouldn't let us shortcut to the end of a story. We have to earn the resolution."

"But how can we do that?"

"For now, we should just wait. I don't think it's accidental, the way the stories have got tangled up. I think there's some meaning to it, and if we wait..."

I snorted. "You make it sound like there's someone writing _my_ story."

"Well, I didn't mean it quite like that..."

"What, then?"

Ami squirmed uncomfortably. "It was just a thought. You'd probably best forget it."

* * *

><p>For the rest of that day, I did my best to follow her advice and forget about my doubts. I kept my head down and concentrated on my schoolwork, for the first time in a long while. After school, as soon as the bell rang, the room filled with the usual noise of bustle and chatter. I wasn't in a sociable mood, so I just looked over at Usagi and nodded towards the door. She got my meaning at once, and we walked out together.<p>

It seemed like everyone we passed was still gossiping about the incident on the cruise – but Usagi kept a demure silence. She hadn't even mentioned to anyone that she had been on the cruise ship. Not even to me. She had certainly changed since the start of her adventures, perhaps even more deeply than I had realised.

Our route home took us past the local tennis club, and we paused just outside it. There was an unusual amount of noise coming from the outdoor court, and we were both curious. We didn't need to ask each other. We just went round the building to take a look.

The reason for the commotion was apparent as soon as I saw the flick of a familiar black ponytail. I should have remembered Ruby was back in town; she had been abroad for a while. Come to think of it, the last time I saw her was before the beginning of Sailor Moon's adventures, so she hasn't appeared in the story yet, and I shall have to introduce her now.

Saionji Rui, to use her real name, is two years older than me, and she's been like a big sister to me ever since we moved to Tokyo. When I was struggling to fit in among classmates who made fun of my Kansai accent, she was always there to defend me and stand me on my feet again. She was also an only child, and I suppose that she was glad to have someone to look out for, someone she could lift up and help along – and in return, I admired and even worshipped her. She was everything I wanted to be: smart and athletic and talented. We started to drift apart as she moved up to junior high, and then began competing in junior tennis tournaments and was often abroad for months at a time. That was when she decided to call herself Ruby, a more recognisable name to her international fans. And I could only watch as time wore on, and she acquired a new group of friends at school, and fans all over the world. She never forgot me – but I was hardly part of her life any more. All I could hope for was the occasional meaningless remembrance, a little wave when we passed each other, and a letter when she was away, one for every five of mine, just because she knew how much it would mean to me. We had been so young that we could naïvely promise that we would always be friends, that we wouldn't let the differences in our lives come between us; and now that we were older and knew better, we both felt tied to the burden of that promise, perhaps both still clinging on to a hope that one day we could come back to each other and build a real friendship on that foundation. I would always be there for her if she ever called out to me, and I knew she would be there for me too.

A large crowd had gathered around the perimeter of the court: mostly Ruby's friends from her class at school, but I saw a few familiar faces as well. The previous month, she had got to the fourth round of the junior French Open; not too much, perhaps, but we were all cheering her on, hoping that she could go further next time, perhaps even win her next tournament and bring some measure of fame to our corner of the world.

Usagi and I slipped along the line until we found a place where we could slot in, and we watched, letting the rest of the world disappear for a while. The monotonous thud of racket against ball, the steady roll of traffic along the street, Ruby's cries and grunts as she pushed herself to the limit of her strength: these were the music to which my soul was dancing.

Then there was a screech as a car came to a halt right behind us. I span round and blinked. It was a gleaming, brand new Ferrari Testarossa. Azabu-juban is a district filled with embassies and posh houses, and so smart cars are not an especially rare sight; but for the most part, the people who own such cars keep well away from us, living their quiet lives behind ornamental screens. And then the door opened, and Nephrite climbed out.

I could not suppress a gasp of surprise. Usagi heard me, though that didn't really matter. She would probably just assume I was gasping because he was so handsome. Let her think that if she liked. He did, indeed, cut a striking figure, with his smart grey suit and dark sunglasses; but that's not the sort of person I'm attracted to. Anyway, all around us the rest of the girls were jumping and squealing, and that helped to cover up my little indiscretion.

Nephrite strode up to the gate of the court, and walked in as casually as if he owned the place. Ruby frowned at him.

"Please don't come in without permission. I'm practising for a tournament –"

"Yes, it looks like you need it," said Nephrite.

Ruby bristled with indignation. Nephrite, unfazed, stepped closer.

I gripped the fence with both hands, so as to hold myself steady. At all costs, I must not give myself away in front of Usagi. But what on earth was going on? What was Nephrite doing? I tried desperately to work it out, step by step. His goal was to find the Silver Crystal, and to eliminate the threat of Kunzite by diverting the sailor warriors' attention towards him. And I didn't see what his targeting Ruby had to do with any of that. Perhaps he was just stalling for time. The sailor warriors couldn't be allowed to think the Dark Kingdom had just given up and gone home. But had Nephrite really come up with this plan on his own, or had Ami suggested it? Either one seemed hard to believe. If it was Nephrite's plan, then how had he come to select Ruby – or was it really just random chance? And surely the gentle Ami-chan would not be so casual about attacking civilians... but then I remembered the way she had looked when she transformed into Akumi. She had really seemed to be enjoying it; and I wondered just how well I knew the shy girl who had been my friend for such a short space of time.

I looked up. Nephrite was now showing Ruby how to hold the racket. Her annoyance had changed to rapt attention; I'm not sure _how_, but he clearly knew what he was doing.

Then he called out to one of the boys Ruby had been practising with, "Hey, you! Give us a serve!"

The boy looked at him doubtfully, then tossed the ball in the air. At once, it was clear how much difference there was between him and Ruby: he moved awkwardly, almost as if he was frightened of the ball, while she was confident and composed. Nephrite stood to one side, and Ruby prepared to return the boy's serve –

_Crack._

And the boy was left standing there, gaping, holding the stump of his racket. The crowd fell silent in awe.

"Hey!" he called out.

"What?" said Ruby. "If it's about the racket, I'll just get you another one. Carry on!"

He looked at her doubtfully.

"All right, you then!" Ruby said to another boy. "You serve!"

I stared at her. It wasn't like her to be so careless, or so disdainful. The Ruby I knew was considerate to everyone. Then she turned, and I caught sight of her eyes; they were black holes with no trace of a soul behind them. Something was wrong. I had to do something. "Wait here," I said to Usagi. Without giving her time to reply, I ran off to look for Ami.


End file.
